London, United Kingdom – On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of people marched through central London in what organizers are calling the largest-ever demonstration against the far right in British history. The Together Alliance march, backed by about 500 groups including trade unions, anti-racism campaigners, and Muslim representative bodies, drew a diverse crowd from across the country, converging on Whitehall near the Houses of Parliament. Organizers claimed that half a million participants joined the event.

London’s Metropolitan Police provided a considerably lower estimate of approximately 50,000, though officers acknowledged the difficulty in reaching an accurate figure due to the spread-out crowds. The protest was met with a smaller group of counter-protesters waving Israeli flags and Iran’s pre-1979 monarchical flag. Trade union activist Aadam Muuse told Al Jazeera that racism and Islamophobia have moved from the fringes into mainstream politics and are “being pushed by parliamentarians,” adding that the march was necessary to push back against Reform leader Nigel Farage and his allies.

Demonstrators expressed deep concern over the creeping rise of the far right. Independent MP Jeremy Corbyn posted on social media that societal problems are not caused by migrants or refugees but are rooted in “an economic system rigged in favour of corporations and billionaires.” The anti-racism group Hope Not Hate warned in March that the British far right is now “bigger, bolder and more extreme than ever before,” highlighting the growing societal friction.

A separate march organized by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign converged with the main demonstration, leading to the arrest of 18 people outside New Scotland Yard for protesting in support of the proscribed group Palestine Action. These events occur as Farage’s Reform party surges in polls, indicating rising racism and division within the UK. Participants emphasized their opposition to what they see as “the politics of hate and division” promoted by the current political climate.

Source: www.aljazeera.com