55 minutes ago Tom McArthurBBC News Britain will not surrender its flag to those who wish to use it as a symbol of violence, fear and division, Sir Keir Starmer has said.
Our flag represents our diverse country and we will never surrender it to those that use it as a symbol of violence, fear and division.”
Police say 26 officers were injured on the day – including four who were seriously hurt – with 24 people arrested.
Mounted police officers used batons to push back the crowds and officers were kicked and punched, the Met said.
The force added officers were working to identify other people involved in disorder with a view to making further arrests.
55 minutes prior.
McArthur, Tom, BBC News.
Sir Keir Starmer has stated that Britain will not cede its flag to those who want to use it as a symbol of violence, fear, and division.
According to the prime minister, the flag symbolizes “our diverse country” and he will not permit anyone to feel threatened on “our streets because of their background or the color of their skin.”.
His remarks follow a counter-protest organized by Stand Up To Racism in which roughly 5,000 people participated, and over 150,000 people marched through central London in support of Tommy Robinson, a far-right activist, as part of the “Unite the Kingdom” march.
The marchers were “demonstrating freedom of association and freedom of speech,” according to Business Secretary Peter Kyle earlier.
People are entitled to peaceful protest, the prime minister declared on Sunday afternoon. It is fundamental to the ideals of our nation.
However, we will not tolerate assaults on law enforcement personnel while they are performing their duties or intimidation of individuals on our streets due to their skin color or background.
The nation of Britain is proudly based on respect, tolerance, and diversity. We will never allow our flag to be used as a symbol of violence, fear, or division because it symbolizes our diverse nation. “.”.
According to police, 24 people were arrested and 26 officers, including four who were critically injured, were injured that day.
For the majority of Saturday afternoon, thousands of people waving St George’s flags and union jacks crowded central London. Welsh and Scottish flags were also visible.
Speaking about the protests, Kyle told Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday that such occasions were “klaxon calls” for the powerful to step up their efforts to address the major issues that people have, such as immigration.
“The differences between our society and other democratic societies are what most concern me. Right now, it’s not even the left and the right,” he said to the show.
In our society, he said, “there are people like Tommy Robinson who can touch into a sense of disquiet and grievance in the community.”.
He told the show that the “small minority” who had used violence would be held responsible.
Elon Musk, the tech billionaire, told demonstrators on Whitehall to “fight back” or “die” in a videolink speech. He also demanded a change of government in the UK and made reference to the enormous unchecked migration.
Certain remarks made by Musk were deemed “totally inappropriate” by Kyle.
Speaking directly to the crowds at the march, Robinson—real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon—criticized politicians for “parroting” his views.
With roughly 1,000 Met officers on duty and an additional 500 from other forces, including Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Devon, and Cornwall, a massive policing operation was set up for the protests this weekend.
“There is no question that many came to exercise their lawful right to protest, but there were many who came with the intention of using violence,” stated Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist. “.”.
On Saturday lunchtime, the demonstration was mainly peaceful, but tensions increased as the afternoon wore on.
The Met reported that dozens of officers were hurt, including four who suffered serious injuries, and that some officers had been attacked while attempting to separate the two groups.
When officers attempted to stop the protesters from encircling counter-protesters, a confrontation broke out because the crowd of protesters who joined Robinson’s organized march was too big to fit inside Whitehall, according to police.
The Metropolitan Police Department reported that officers were punched and kicked as mounted police officers used batons to drive the crowds back.
On Sunday, the force reported that the youngest and oldest individuals detained at the protest were 19 and 58 years old, respectively, with three of the 24 individuals arrested being women and the remaining individuals being men.
A number of individuals were taken into custody for multiple offenses.
In order to make more arrests, the force added officers were trying to find other individuals involved in the disturbance.
