‘Tommy Robinson’ & Poland: 5 years in the past at the moment, Saturday twenty fourth August 2019 I coated two protests in London in opposition to the acute proper. Anti-fascists opposed a protest exterior the BBC after far-right activist Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon, higher referred to as Tommy Robinson was jailed for violating a court docket order, and there was a protest on the Polish Embassy in solidarity with LGBTQ+ folks in Poland whose lives are beneath risk from the right-wing Regulation & Justice Celebration and the Catholic Church.
Anti-fascists outnumber ‘Free Tommy’ Protest
Robinson was sentenced to 9 months for 3 offences exterior Leeds Crown Court docket which might have led to the collapse of a grooming gang trial, and has earlier convictions for violence, monetary and immigration frauds, drug possession and public order offences.
The declare by his supporters that he was imprisoned for ‘journalism’ and indirectly is a defender of free speech is just ludicrous. He knew he was breaking the regulation and pleaded responsible.
All journalists know that they’ve each rights and duties and we’re ruled by the legal guidelines of the nation, notably with respect to the publication of fabric. Good journalists typically publish materials that some folks wouldn’t need revealed, citing the general public curiosity in doing so, however on this case Robinson’s actions had been clearly in opposition to any public curiosity and will have led to a critical prison prosecution having to be deserted.
Two teams of protesters got here to oppose the protest exterior the BBC by Robinson supporters. I met the London Anti-Fascist Meeting and others at Oxford Circus and accompanied them as they marched up Regent Road in direction of the BBC.
Police marched with them too, and stopped them a couple of yards from the Robinson protest. After we arrived there have been solely a handful of ‘Free Tommy’ supporters ready on the steps of All Souls Langham Place. They shouted again because the Anti-Fascists shoted at them and a police officer warned one of many girls about her language because the police moved the Anti-Fascists again to the opposite facet of the highway
After some significantly shouting on the excessive proper they had been pushed by police right into a pen on the alternative facet of the highway. Right here they continued to shout on the excessive proper protesters and an extended record of EDL and Far Proper convicted intercourse offenders was handed out.
Shortly after a big group of Stand As much as Racism supporters arrived to face beside the Antifa protesters. A few police horses got here in addition to a couple of extra Free Tommy supporters who had marched from Trafalgar Sq. protected by a police escort.
However theirs was nonetheless a small protest, vastly outnumbered by these against them.
The stand-off shouting match continued, with police largely holding the 2 teams aside. I left for 45 minutes to cowl one other protest, and returned to seek out little had modified, however noticed one anti-fascist being led away to a police van after being arrested for refusing to get off the highway when ordered by police.
Extra photos on My London Diary at Anti-fascists outnumber Protest for ‘Tommy’.
Solidarity with Polish LGBTQ+ neighborhood – Polish Embassy
Conveniently the Polish Embassy the place protesters had gathered to point out solidarity the LGBTQ+ neighborhood in Poland is just a few minutes stroll from the BBC
LGBTQ+ folks in Poland are at present dwelling in concern, their lives threatened beneath the rule of the right-wing Regulation & Justice Celebration which along with the Catholic Church have accused them of being a risk to kids and to Poland itself.
Some native authorities have declared ‘LGBT Free Zones’ and nationalists teams have actively attacked members of the LGBTQ+ neighborhood and Delight occasions.
Amongst those that got here to talk on the rally alongside Polish homosexual rights activists had been Nicola Subject of Lesbians and Gays Assist The Miners, Peter Tatchell and Weyman Bennett of Stand As much as Racism
Solidarity with Polish LGBTQ+ neighborhood
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Tags: anti-fascists, arrest, BBC, breaking the regulation, Catholic Church, court docket order, excessive proper, far proper, fascist, free speech, Free Tommy, grooming gang, responsible, responsible plea, Islamophobia, journalism, Regulation & Justice Celebration, Lesbians and Gays Assist The Miners, LGBT free zones, LGBTQ+. Poland, London, London Anti-fascist Meeting, ludicrous declare, march, Nicola Subject, peter Marshall, Peter Tatchell, Poland, police, Polish Embassy, Polish Rainbow, Delight occasions, protest, rainbow, stand as much as racism, Tommy Robinson, Weyman Bennett
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