This weekend, a mix of far-right thugs, football hooligans, and ‘migrant hunters’ are planning to gather in London to ‘defend the Cenotaph’. The online chatter about this has caught the attention of the anti-extremist group HOPE Not Hate, who have been monitoring the situation closely. The upcoming events include the March for Palestine on Saturday and the Remembrance Day events on Sunday. The Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, has accused the Metropolitan Police of bias ahead of the pro-Palestine march, sparking criticism from various quarters, including Tory Chancellor Jeremy Hunt.
Social media has been buzzing with provocative comments related to the weekend’s events. One account, England Geezer, boldly stated, ‘Our Cenotaph will be protected from any jihadi scum. Make your plans, lads….’ Another user, John Elah, urged people to ‘Make sure you’re in London protecting the Cenotaph. This week is time to stand and fight. #DefendTheCenotaph’.
Hooligan Jason Marriner advised his followers to ‘save your energy for next weekend’ and ‘make a stand against these terrorists’. Meanwhile, English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson, who recently returned to social media after a ban, released a video explaining ‘Why I’ll be in London this weekend and why you should too!’
The Democratic Football Lads Alliance have activities planned for both days, stating ‘Sunday is a day we show respect to veterans, Saturday is a day of action.’ They have also put out a poster calling on football lads to support the Remembrance Day parade and stand with the veterans against any potential disruption from far-left and pro-Palestine supporters. Additionally, the National Front will be marching in the capital on Sunday.
Nick Lowles, CEO of HOPE not hate, commented on the situation, saying, ‘Parts of the far right are trying to mobilise against the pro-Palestine demonstration taking place this weekend around Central London. However, these are by no means united efforts across the groups intending to head to London on Saturday. What remains to be seen is whether these groups have the power to mobilise in the way that they could several years ago.’
In response to the planned gatherings, the Metropolitan Police are reportedly implementing a ‘ring of steel’ at the march. They have cancelled leave, extended overtime, and are bringing in an additional 1,000 officers from across the country for the event on Saturday. Senior officers have been instructed to crack down immediately on any disorder.