Violent clashes erupt as St George’s Day rally in central London spirals into chaos, highlighting deep-seated tensions and prompting robust police response. Here’s the full story.
Reclaiming the Flag
On the same day that London Mayor Sadiq Khan wrote in the Evening Standard that he was glad that England had “reclaimed our flag from the far Right,” a rally in central London descended into violent clashes after far-right groups took over the streets of the capital.
Breaking Through
Heated clashes between law enforcement and participants in the St George’s Day event occurred near Whitehall. Groups of individuals, some brandishing St George’s flags, confronted police lines, breaking through a cordon and defying attempts to contain them in the area marked out for the march.
“Violently Forced”
The Metropolitan Police reported that the group “violently forced their way through” the attempted cordon, which was set up to keep the marchers in the area scheduled for the event, Richmond Terrace.
“Dealing With Disorder”
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson stated, “Regrettably officers are already dealing with disorder. There is an area allocated for this event in Richmond Terrace. This group went past it and continued up Whitehall.”
“Mounted Officers”
They continued, “When officers formed a cordon and asked the group to turn round, they reacted by violently forcing their way through. Mounted officers intervened with horses to restore the cordon.”
Unsurprising Violence
The march’s descent into violence was perhaps unsurprising, as in attendance were far-right provocateurs such as Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, better known by his alias Tommy Robinson, and Laurence Fox, failed actor turned far-right grifter and leader of the Reclaim party.
“Far-Right Groups”
The Met saw the attendance of such figures as a sign of the impending chaos, writing on X, formerly Twitter, “We believe those planning to attend include far-right groups and groups linked to football clubs travelling from elsewhere in the UK.”
“Get Khan Out”
Fox led the crowd in cries of “get Khan out,” before calling the London mayor a “dictator” and making several disparaging and abusive remarks about him.
Additional Officers
Fearing the march’s potential to turn violent, police deployed additional resources, including public order units and mounted officers, to help contain the demonstrators.
Section 60AA
The disorder led to the police issuing a Section 60AA order, which allows police to remove any face masks worn by protesters at marches. Failure to remove a face covering can result in arrest.
Public Order Act
The rally was also an opportunity for the police to use the sweeping new powers granted to them by the Public Order Act, which allows them to impose strict conditions on such marches.
Environmental Protesters
Though the Public Order Act was primarily intended for environmental protesters, with the government naming groups such as Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil as reasons for its implementation, the police used their new powers to attempt to contain the march.
Section 60
A Section 60 order was also enforced, granting law enforcement enhanced search powers to prevent potential crime and disorder.
Set Place and Time
Attendees were instructed to remain within the designated area on Richmond Terrace, and a stipulated time frame was set: the event could not begin before 3 pm and had to finish by 5 pm.
Racist Chanting
Amidst the chaos, divisive chants reverberated through the crowd, some of which were against Muslims, particularly Palestinians, and others who apparently believed that immigration was endangering their identity chanted, “They don’t want us to be English.”
Not My Saint
As far-right protesters are not generally big fans of reading, it may be surprising for many of them to know that, according to some historical sources, St George was himself born in modern-day Turkey, and his mother was from Palestine.
Back to Normal
Following the march’s descent into chaos, Whitehall was eventually opened for traffic again around 3 pm.
“Reopened to Traffic”
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson stated, “Whitehall has reopened to traffic in both directions following an earlier closure to deal with people trying to move away from the allocated event area.”
“No Further Incidents”
They continued, “There have been no further incidents since that altercation. There is still a significant police presence.”
Skewed Patriotism
Despite the police response preventing the event from turning into a more violent confrontation, the event in London serves as a stark reminder of the strength of feeling that can be attained with a mix of skewed patriotism and anti-immigrant sentiment.
Far-Right Hijack
What began as a celebration of English heritage was hijacked by far-right groups, who injected their toxic mix of divisive rhetoric and aggressive attitudes to spread their provocative message.
A Taste of Things to Come
With the far right on the march, not just in the UK but all across Europe, scenes like those in London are unfortunately more likely, not less, in the future.
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The post Reclaim Our Flag: ‘Get Khan Out’ Chanted St George’s Rally in Violent Clashes first appeared on Edge Media.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Sean Aidan Calderbank.
Grant Gallacher is a seasoned writer with expertise in politics and impactful daily news. His work, deeply rooted in addressing issues that resonate with a wide audience, showcases an unwavering commitment to bringing forth the stories that matter. He is also known for satirical writing and stand up comedy.