London: Brexit Betrayal March – to be updated at intervals

There is a march through London this lunchtime organised as a cross party event for all those concerned that our vote to leave the EU in 2016 is not being implimented according to the mandate we gave the government. Members of UKIP are involved; leader Gerard Batten and peer Lord Pearson will be among the speakers, as will Tommy Robinson. 

I had every intention to go but am unexpectedly unwell so I am watching the live updates from the press and more importantly my friends who are there will be  keeping me informed. 

The Brexit Betrayal march mustered at Park Lane near Speakers Corner and has moved off heading for their rally in Parliament Street opposite Downing Street. I am told that Whitehall/Parliament Street was completely closed to traffic by 11 am this morning. The counter march, Oppose Tommy Robinson in London and Unite Against Racism & Fascism, organised by Momentum and the usual suspects, are permitted to march from Portland Place (by the BBC) to Whitehall, at a slightly earlier but overlapping time. 

From the looks of the Metropolitan Police S12 Public Order Act notice the Brexiteers have rally space to the south of Downing Street and the ‘other’ have the space north, near Trafalgar Square. 

First photograph (left) from the Independent. 

Next photograph, a screenshot (hence the blur) from Tommy Robinson’s live feed, showing the march making its way down Victoria Street towards Parliament Square. 

A piper is walking ahead; others are singing the national anthem. 

Veterans in their berets are holding the banner; turnout is described as good. This contrasts with the Independent newspaper who described it as a mere fraction of the ‘People’s Vote’ (anti-Brexit) march of October

Momentum are claiming a much larger turnout (below), and that today “is a huge blow for Tommy Robinson and his vile, hate fuelled politics.” 

There are reports that ‘black bloc’ the funereal shock troops of Antifa have broken away and are heading towards the Brexit end of Whitehall. 

The London Evening Standard has this photograph of the police having to keep the counter demonstrators in order

From Tommy’s live feed the speeches have begun and all is calm. Gerard Batten is currently speaking (below). 

Now Tommy is speaking

Paul Oakley Ukip’s general secretary and immigration spokesmanhas spoken followed by an Army veteran. Sargon of Akkad is next. Neil Hamilton now. 

From Yahoo News, counter protestors chanting No fascist no Brexit, no racist EU exit. 

Back in Whitehall, Lord Pearson of Rannoch is speaking. Readers will remember that back in 2009 he and Baroness Cox invited Geert Wilders to Parliament to show his film Fitna. 

Tommy spoke again. The rally is ending with a young woman leading the crowd in Rule Britannia and the National anthem

View from the podium. Goodbye, Merry Christmas and don’t forget, Brexit means Brexit.

The Met has provided the Standard with updated arrest figures relating to the Brexit Betrayal march and its counter-protest. There have been three: one for a public order offence, one for assault and one for possession of an offensive weapon. There was no indication of which side the suspects belonged to.

However this picture from the Daily Mail gives me enough to make an educated guess, as it was the counter protestors who were in Trafalgar Square and the northern end of Whitehall

                  Police officers with batons at the ready force back protesters in Trafalgar Square this afternoon.

Photographs from friends who were there are now available

Note the Fishing for Leave flag. In my opinion it was the millionaire oaf Bob Geldorf insulting hard working fishermen, men whose work is vital, back-breaking and sometimes dangerous, on the Thames before the vote that decided many people how they would vote. 

I think the crowd is a little bigger than the figure of ‘2000’ given by the BBC earlier this afternoon. 

And from a steward a better list of the speakers, although he also didn’t catch the name of the speaker and his message from the Czech Republic.

Gerrard, Tommy, Alan Craig MC, Paul Oakley Ukip day migration spokesman, Simon Bean veteran, Sargon of Akkad, Neil Hamilton, Robert Hill N.I Ukip, Lord Pearson, Mike Shaw (fishing), Lord Pearson, TR, Gerrard again, Avi Yemeni.

Speakers for  Oppose Tommy Robinson in London and Unite Against Racism & Fascism included apparatchiki from Momentum and the unions and representatives from the Finsbury Park Mosque and the Muslim Council of Great Britian. 

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