London braces for weekend of protest as far right calls for ‘show of force’

{"text":[[{"start":7.95,"text":"Far-right activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon has called for an unprecedented “show of force” in London on Saturday as he seeks to surpass turnout at a similar march held in the capital last year."}],[{"start":18.8,"text":"UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer pointed to the “Unite the Kingdom, Unite the West” march organised by supporters of Yaxley-Lennon — who uses the pseudonym Tommy Robinson — as evidence of “hatred and division, plain and simple”."}],[{"start":34.65,"text":"Tens of thousands of people were arriving at the far-right march as it got under way on Saturday afternoon, as well as a pro-Palestinian demonstration that includes a counter-protest. Saturday’s FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium will further strain police resources."}],[{"start":52.8,"text":"Starmer, who visited the Met’s command and control special operations room on Friday to show support for officers, said: “We’re in a fight for the soul of this country, and the Unite the Kingdom march this weekend is a stark reminder of exactly what we are up against.”"}],[{"start":68.5,"text":"Attendance at the Unite the Kingdom march in September, estimated at 150,000, was higher than any previous far-right event in the UK and the roughly 1,600 officers deployed struggled to contain significant violence. The Met made 22 arrests."}],[{"start":null,"text":"

"}],[{"start":84.85,"text":"Police will deploy 4,000 officers across the two marches and the cup final, while the Home Office has banned 11 people it described as “agitators” from entering the UK to speak at the far-right event."}],[{"start":97.69999999999999,"text":"In an online video, Yaxley-Lennon called on supporters to use the march to “send a message to the globe and the establishment”."}],[{"start":106.19999999999999,"text":"“We’ll leave them trembling in the biggest show of force this country has ever seen,” he said. “Help us make history.”"}],[{"start":114.44999999999999,"text":"The Met plans for the first time to deploy a live facial recognition system for protest policing at the Unite the Kingdom march to help identify attendees who are wanted for criminal offences."}],[{"start":125.64999999999999,"text":"The technology will be used at a location where protesters are expected to gather beforehand, rather than during the march itself, the force has said."}],[{"start":135.04999999999998,"text":"In a post on Friday on social media platform X, Stand up to Racism, organisers of the counter-protest, told supporters: “Let’s oppose fascist Tommy Robinson and the far right in our tens of thousands and show our solidarity with Palestine.”"}],[{"start":150.95,"text":"The counter-protest will combine with the annual “Nakba Day” march, which commemorates the mass displacement of Palestinians following the creation of the state of Israel in 1948."}],[{"start":162.29999999999998,"text":"The Met will use new powers to hold organisers accountable for anything said by speakers at post-march rallies that constitutes unlawful incitement to violence or hate speech."}],[{"start":173.24999999999997,"text":"The protests follow a series of antisemitic attacks in London, including the stabbing of two Jewish men in Golders Green on April 29. "}],[{"start":181.74999999999997,"text":"The incidents — mainly claimed by an Iran-linked group Ashab al-Yamin — have prompted some Jewish groups to demand tighter controls or bans on pro-Palestinian protests to curb what they regard as antisemitic hate speech by some participants."}],[{"start":197.64999999999998,"text":"The cup final — between Chelsea and Manchester City — will be the only men’s professional football match in England on Saturday, raising the risk that football hooligans supporting other clubs will attend the Unite the Kingdom march."}],[{"start":209.74999999999997,"text":"Met deputy assistant commissioner James Harman said the combination of factors surrounding the marches gave the force “significant cause for concern”. "}],[{"start":217.24999999999997,"text":"He said the response required a plan that gave officers the “most assertive grip on the movement of large groups and the potential for disorder and other criminality”."}],[{"start":227.24999999999997,"text":"“The scale of the operation is unprecedented in recent years,” Harman said."}],[{"start":231.94999999999996,"text":"The Unite the Kingdom march started on Kingsway in Covent Garden and will end on Whitehall, while the Nakba Day event started from Exhibition Road in Kensington and will head to Waterloo Place, by St James’s Park."}],[{"start":253.29999999999995,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1778943917_1773.mp3"}