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Map of route for Together Alliance march
Here’s a map of the route for today’s Together Alliance march.
Participants will march from Park Lane at 1pm, finishing on Whitehall, with police expecting all rallies to conclude by 5pm.
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Robyn Vinter
There are crowds as far as the eye can see along Park Lane, with people of all ages and demographics taking part in the march.
A cacophony of chanting, whistling and drum banging can be heard among the thousands gathered here.
A group from Leicester Stand Up to Racism is shouting: “No borders, no nations, stop deportations!”
Others carry signs reading, “You cannot divide us”, “refugees are welcome here” and “this world belongs to everyone”.
Robyn Vinter is north of England correspondent at the Guardian
Some protesters have spoken to PA earmarking opposition to Reform UK, support for Palestine and anti-racism as drivers for their attendance.
Paige Horsford, 34, a media and English teacher from New Romney, Kent, said she joined the Together march because she has witnessed racist incidents at her school.
She said: “This is my 10th year teaching, and it’s certainly the worst it’s ever been.
“Especially after the unite the kingdom rally in September, we had issues in our school surrounding that rally.
“Our kids’ parents had been, and then (pupils) were thinking that they could have free licence to be abusive in classrooms.”
Horsford said pupils had been imitating accents and making “inappropriate” comments, with young people blaming migrants for the country’s ills.
Crawford Logan, 76, from Stirling, Scotland, said he wanted to support both the protest against the far right, and the pro-Palestine march taking place today.
He said: “There is a kind of dual purpose to this: there’s this march about the far right, but there’s also the Stop the War coalition as well, so you’ve got two major events on, and they are in parallel I think with the No Kings protests that are going on in the States today.
“And of course, it’s just very dangerous times.”
Asked whether he is worried about the rise of Reform UK as a political force, Logan said: “Absolutely. The people that think that Reform is the answer are not cottoning on to the fact that it’s actually just old Tories in disguise, and it’s still the same wealthy people who are stripping the country bare, and people who are being stripped bare still think that Reform is the answer.”
Together rally leader hopes to have deterred far-right
Co-organiser of Saturday’s event, Sabby Dhalu, who is joint secretary of the Together Alliance and co-convenor of Stand Up to Racism, said the UK is seeing an “unprecedented growth” in support for far-right organisations.
“We believe that the majority of British people stand against the hatred and division and racism that was being encouraged at that demonstration and by these types of organisations, and it’s time to act.”
Saturday’s event – featuring a march, speeches on Whitehall and a music event in Trafalgar Square – comes seven months on from the Unite the Kingdom rally.
That demonstration – organised by right-wing activist Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – was attended by more than 100,000 people, while about 5,000 were involved in an anti-racism counter-demonstration.
There were several incidents of violent disorder which left some police officers injured.
Asked if she was concerned about potential counter-protests and disorder, Dhalu said: “We’re not worried about anything like that today. We haven’t had any intelligence about anything like that is being planned.
“We’re confident that the size of our mobilisation here today has actually intimidated the far-right, and I think they feel that they are not confident enough to stand against us because they know that we’re going to be out in big numbers.”
Dhalu said protestors have “no reason” not to abide by conditions put in place by the Metropolitan Police, adding that it will be a “peaceful” demonstration.
The first round of images are coming through from the march, which is expected to have a strong union presence.
Map of route for Together Alliance march
Here’s a map of the route for today’s Together Alliance march.
Participants will march from Park Lane at 1pm, finishing on Whitehall, with police expecting all rallies to conclude by 5pm.
Those in power using racism to 'feather own nests', head of NEU says
Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), said those in power have been using racism to “feather their own nests”, as he criticised Keir Starmer’s comments around immigration.
In May last year, the prime minister said the UK risked becoming “an island of strangers”, in a speech about immigration.
Kebede said before the Together Alliance rally against the far-right on Saturday: “What we have seen – in the age of Trump in particular – is those in power using racism to feather their own nests, whether it’s Donald Trump, whether it’s Nigel Farage.
“And what’s even worse is we’ve seen the Prime Minister, instead of taking it on, tail-end it with the ‘island of strangers’ nonsense that he pedalled last year.”
He added: “The toxic climate that is taking place in society festers into schools. We’re seeing an increase in racist incidents, whether that’s directed towards teachers and support staff, or pupil-on-pupil, so it’s incredibly difficult at the moment.”
Kevin Courtney, chairman of the Together Alliance has said shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy would have been “sacked” for his comments about Muslim public prayer if he had made them 10 years ago.
Earlier this month, the Conservative MP described Muslim public prayer as an “act of domination and decision”, referring to an open Iftar event held in Trafalgar Square.
Courtney said: “Nick Timothy, who is a frontbencher for the Conservative Party, criticised the Muslim community, said they were taking over Trafalgar Square when they were having an Iftar event… they were praying as part of that.
“All faiths use Trafalgar Square. The idea that Nick Timothy picks on one particular community, and criticise it, demonises it, I would say… it’s disturbing that those ideas have cut into the mainstream.
“10 years ago, he would have been sacked from the Tory frontbench for saying that. He’s not being sacked now, so we are disturbed by the growth of far-right ideas across the mainstream, as well as in the particular expressions, like Tommy Robinson.”
Meanwhile, in the US, millions of Americans are expected to take to the streets on Saturday for the No Kings protests against the Trump administration.
The protests, which have no connection to the demonstrations taking place in the UK, will be led by a coalition of organisers that includes “anti-authoritarian” groups Indivisible and 50501, labor unions and other grassroots organisations.
More than 3,000 events are planned in all 50 states, plus in 16 countries.
Saturday’s protest will be the third No Kings; the last one in October drew 7 million people nationwide.
Protesters are expected to turn out on the basis of a multitude of issues, organisers said, from ICE raids to voting rights threats.
“Since the last No Kings, we’re seeing higher gas prices and groceries, all while there’s an illegal war in Iran,” said Sarah Parker, the executive director of Voices of Florida and a national coordinator for the 50501 movement. “The people of America are pissed.”
Who are the Together Alliance?
Dozens of coaches will leave from across the country on Saturday morning – including 10 from Manchester alone – to begin marching from Park Lane to Trafalgar Square at midday but who are Together Alliance?
From musicians including Brian Eno and Self Esteem to actors including Christopher Eccleston and Maxine Peake, the breadth of support reflects a familiar pattern in British protest movements – moments when politics spills into culture, and vice versa, and a chance for people to demonstrate their progressive values.
The anti-discrimination group Stand Up to Racism are members of the alliance and Sabby Dhalu, a co-convener, has said the Together Alliance’s formation was a direct reaction to growing far-right sentiment espoused in last September’s “unite the kingdom” demonstration.
Dhalu said: “The overwhelming majority of people reject the racism, Islamophobia, division, hatred and violence promoted by Tommy Robinson and the far right.
“This Saturday we will demonstrate that clearly. Tens of thousands will take to the streets of central London, bringing the same spirit of unity that helped bring the racist riots of 2024 to a halt.”
Two stages – one on Whitehall for speeches and one in Trafalgar Square for music, which are both free to attend – will feature cross-party speakers and award-winning musicians, including Self Esteem, Jessie Ware, Katy B, Joy Crookes, UB40, Fontaines DC, the Charlatans and Hot Chip.
Billy Bragg said that the “politics of division” could be countered when people came together, and he expected the turnout to exceed that of the “unite the kingdom” rally.
In case you missed it, the context of today’s march was discussed in our First edition newsletter
Met will have 'significant policing presence' as part of plan for weekend protests
The Metropolitan police have said there will be a “significant policing presence” in Westminster on Saturday with a number of large protests expected.
In addition to the marches organised by the Together Alliance and the Palestine Coalition, a number of protests against the Iranian regime – both static assemblies and marches – are due to take place in the Westminster area on both Saturday and Sunday.
The force said they have used conditions under the public order act to ensure only rally areas that have been agreed in advance are used and to set fixed routes that must be followed and to determine required end times.
Dispersal zones will be in place if people gather in places away from the agreed form up locations that cause disruption or harassment and intimidation.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Jon Savell, who is in charge of the policing operation this weekend, said: “This is going to be a busy weekend for our officers but we have detailed plans in place to ensure all groups protesting this weekend can do so lawfully and without causing serious disruption to other Londoners, businesses or visitors.”
“I am mindful that it is less than a week since the appalling arson attack in Golders Green which will only have compounded already heightened fears in the Jewish community.
“We take these fears seriously and have carefully considered them in our planning, balancing them as we are required to do against the rights of others to lawful protest.”
Hundreds of thousands expected to gather in London for march against far right
Good morning. Hundreds of thousands of people are to turn out in central London to support what is expected to be the biggest multicultural march in UK history on Saturday.
Scotland Yard said there will be a significant police presence in the capital on Saturday as two large marches will converge in Westminster.
One march, followed by speeches and musical performances, is organised by the Together Alliance and is said to have the support of celebrities including comedian Sir Lenny Henry and singer Paloma Faith, although neither are expected to be present.
Participants will march from Park Lane at 1pm, finishing on Whitehall, while a music event will also take place in Trafalgar Square featuring artists including former Little Mix singer Leigh-Anne Pinnock.
A separate march organised by the Palestine Coalition will form up at the southern end of Exhibition Road from midday, marching towards Hyde Park Corner where the demonstrators will turn onto Piccadilly, joining the route of the Together Alliance before the groups form up for a rally on Whitehall.
A video message from London mayor Sadiq Khan will be played to those gathered at the Whitehall stage and the leader of the Green party Zack Polanski is expected to make a speech.
The musician, Billy Bragg told the Guardian on Friday participants hoped to “send out a message to our fellow citizens that we are willing to take a stand against [the politics of hate] being imported into the UK”.
