There were two events in London opposing what the organisers of this event, Stand Up To Racism and Unite Against Fascism, described as “a demonstration for bigots and Islamophobes in London “by the racist ‘Democratic’ Football Lads Alliance (DFLA)”.
The more interesting and larger protest by anti-fascists was taking place starting at the BBC, and went to actually try to physically stop the march – with considerable success, holding it up for some time and forcing police to take it on a different route. But because I’d been with the ‘Funeral For the Unknown Cyclist‘ I hadn’t been able to keep up with what was happening there, and had ended up next to the SUTR/UAF demonstration, a static rally in Parliament Street, close to where the DFLA rally was to happen (though well separated by a large gap and many police officers.)
It wasn’t a huge rally, though rather more supporters than on the previous similar occasion, and with a better sound system which this time police had allowed them to put in place – at the earlier protest police had blocked them bringing it. This time the police seemed more concerned about facilitating their protest rather than obstructing it, and at keeping out the handful of racists who came to try and disrupt it.
After taking some pictures of the rally, I went back into Parliament Square to sit down and eat a very late lunch of the sandwiches I had brought with me. I usually bring sandwiches when I’m working across the middle of the day, often eating them in the middle of protests. Of course you can buy food in London, but not always conveniently and seldom really suited to my dietary requirements as a diabetic. I watched police turning away a few shouting men and wandered across to take pictures, but decided there was really little of interest.
I’d been planning to walk around through St James Park (as Whitehall was blocked) to Trafalgar Square and Whitehall to find the DFLA and Anti-fascists, but felt too tired, and decided to leave this to younger and fitter photographers who also have the advantage of not being as well-known to the thugs, and went home.
More pictures, including a number of the speakers, at Rally opposes Islamophobic DFLA on My London Diary.
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