Tense stand-off in London as police separate far-right & anti-fascist protesters (VIDEO, PHOTOS)
Twelve people were arrested during clashes between police and protesters at an anti-Islamic terrorism rally and anti-fascist counter-demonstrations in central London.
The protest was held under the banner “London Under Attack” Saturday by far-right party Britain First, along with the anti-immigration English Defence League (EDL), to “protest against radical Islamic terrorism.”
READ MORE: London police release all 12 suspects arrested in wake of Westminster attack
Counter-protesters, organized by the Unite Against Fascism group, marched alongside the demonstrators who they deemed to be anti-Islamic.
“Both groups are notorious Islamophobes whose concern is not with the victims or their relatives, but only lie in racism,” United Against Fascism said in a Facebook statement.
LONDON PROTEST pic.twitter.com/RUM16LoTqk
— Paul Golding (@GoldingBF) April 1, 2017
READ MORE: Islamophobia up after Westminster attack, say police... but Muslims disagree
London’s Metropolitan Police were forced to separate the groups that gathered near Trafalgar Square, in a tense stand-off heightened by emotion following the March 22 terrorist attack.
The march was held ten days after the Westminster attack that left four people dead and dozens injured. British-born attacker Khalid Masood rammed pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before slamming his vehicle into the gates of the parliament buildings and killing a police officer.
Protesters from Unite Against Fascism in Trafalgar Square. pic.twitter.com/jtQB3VtsnT
— David Vella (@indeox) April 1, 2017
Protesters arrive in central London with their faces covered ahead of a demo by Britain First and the English Defence League. pic.twitter.com/kpxDriDUj7
— Catherine Wylie (@wyliecatherine) April 1, 2017
The EDL protest. I have no words pic.twitter.com/I3cna3DEEE
— Laura Slater (@_LauraSlater) April 1, 2017