[Twosugars]

Right wing thugs in central london today

Anti-fascist activists clash with Tommy Robinson supporters in London
Stand Up to Racism says rising bigotry at the top of society is emboldening the far right

Mattha Busby and Damien Gayle

Sat 3 Aug 2019 15.53


Anti-fascist counter-protesters declared Tommy Robinson supporters “can’t march unopposed” as opposing demonstrations were kept apart by police in central London on Saturday.

Singing “we want Tommy out”, hundreds of supporters of the jailed far-right activist congregated at Oxford Circus, under strict conditions imposed by the Metropolitan police, which limited the groups to specific areas and a certain time period.

However, those conditions were almost immediately broken by a number of pro-Robinson demonstrators, who moved off and marched part-way down Oxford Street before making their way down Regent Street in the direction of Piccadilly Circus chanting “oh Tommy, Tommy”.

There were chaotic scenes as Robinson’s supporters pelted a police van with missiles. Tense standoffs ensued outside the BBC headquarters when officers drew batons and formed a line to repel hundreds of pro-Robinson supporters who ran towards the counter-demonstration.

Some Robinson supporters pushed their way right up to the entrance of the BBC, until they were forced back. A can of beer was thrown into the crowd still assembled outside All Souls Church and a bottle of water towards police.

Some of Robinson’s supporters flew a flag bearing the symbol of Generation Identity, a far right pan-European group linked to racist attacks.

Earlier, a smaller group attempted to blindside police and shouted insults at anti-racist protesters from the cover of bushes, as officers stood between them.

Stand Up to Racism said rising bigotry and Islamophobia at the top of society was emboldening racists.

Carrying a large banner saying “The enemy does not arrive by boat, he arrives by limousine, no to fortress Britain”, counter-protesters from a number of anti-racist groups chanted “Nazi scum off our streets”.

“We’re opposing them wherever they go on the rampage stoking hatred,” said Lee Nielsen from Stand Up to Racism, who organised the demonstration, estimated to number about 1,000 people. “We’re saying they can’t march unopposed in London. They’re trying to whip up racism and Islamophobia. We’re going to see off Tommy Robinson.”

He said acolytes of Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, had been emboldened by Donald Trump, Boris Johnson, and rightwing leaders across Europe

“They see someone like Johnson in No 10 talking their language, referring to Muslim women as bank robbers and letterboxes and black people as piccaninnies with watermelon smiles. He’s a nasty racist who is playing the Trump card. The far right see him and take confidence from it.”
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https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...porters-london