London police are stepping up resources and monitoring to pre-empt conflicts between anti-immigrant and pro-migration protesters.
Protesters joined the “Unite the Kingdom” march organised by anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, known as Tommy Robinson. They carried banners reading “When will the government act for the British public?” as they marched towards parliament. Conversely, the rallies were also attended by anti-racism activists and trade unionists who carried banners reading “Refugees welcome” and “Smash the far right.”
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Rachel Williams, who is leading the police operation, which involved officers from across the country, said they were well prepared. The high level of preparation by police follows previous violent riots following the murder of three young girls at a dance workshop in Southport. Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the riots, calling them racist. They targeted hotels housing asylum seekers and mosques, but stopped after police arrested more than 1,500 people and charged about 1,000.
The protests began after official figures released on Saturday showed that the number of asylum seekers crossing the Channel from Europe in small boats this year reached 29,578, more than in the whole of 2023. It is unlikely that the total of 45,755 people arriving by small boats in 2022 will be exceeded by the end of December 2024. A total of 16,336 people have crossed the Channel in small boats since Labour came to power in July, despite the government’s policy of stopping the crossing.
