Dozens of far-right militants led by Tommy Robinsonthe controversial former member of the British National Party (BNP), scuffled with police and interrupted the two minutes’ silence on Armistice Day at the Cenotaph in London.
The altercation occurred on the eve of the largest pro-Palestine march to date in the British capital, which has brought together half a million protesters. Some 2,000 police officers ensure security during the protests in a device comparable to that of the march against the Iraq war that brought together two million protesters.
Scotland Yard has created exclusion zones between the celebrations of Armistice Day and the pro-Palestine march to avoid incidents. The police warned, however, of the risk of counter protests violent throughout the day.
Shouting “England until I die!”, Tommy Robinson and his followers tried to force their way to the Cenotaph, near Westminster, prompting the police to intervene. ““It’s not pro-Palestine, it’s anti-Britain.”protesters chanted while waving Union Jacks and English flags.
The pro-Palestine march started more than a mile from the Cenotaph and an hour later. The police raised protection barriers during the route to avoid the confluence of the two events.