20,000 people say ~ We want Tommy out

To London for the Free Tommy Robinson march and rally.

I arrived early as I wanted to see the flypast after the Trooping the Colour. The Red Arrows set a suitably patriotic tone. Tommy’s supporters were already gathering round Nelson’s column.

I couldn’t find the open top bus (it was later seen driving round Trafalgar Square so I was right about its existence so decided to walk the length of Whitehall to observe the stage being set up, and what the opposition counter-demo was up to. It was the usual collection of labour party apparatchniks and woolly-faced members of the public service unions.

Walking back towards Trafalgar Square I could see the march coming towards me.

In three waves, they just kept coming. I thought there is over 15,000 people here (later Raheem Kassam said the official estimate was 20,000) as it took the best part of half an hour to pass down to Downing Street where the stage had been set up.

There were all manner of people including a lot of older ladies who come over quite maternal in Tommy’s support. This white woman and black woman arm in arm are not my idea of knuckle-dragging football thugs.

A few weddings took place in the area, this being Saturday afternoon and ladies in fascinating hats, and men in morning suits and top hats were also filing along the pavement and some did stop to listen for a few minutes.

Walking against the march until I saw its end meant that when I turned and followed the vanguard down to the rally point I was at the back. This time there was no big screen so I couldn’t actually see the speakers, but the excellent sound system meant that I heard most of the speeches.

Gerard Batten, leader of UKIP said that Tommy will go down in history as being on the right side of the struggle of good against evil.

Shazia Hobbs spoke of the grooming gangs and praised Tommy as a brave footsoldier.

Raheem Kassam spoke in between her speech and Liam Tuffs to inquire what the BBC estimate of numbers was going to be? Maybe a couple of hundred, or even a minus figure. They are the Bullshit Broadcasting Corporation as there are a good 20,000 people here.

The chant went up We want Tommy out, we want Tommy out

Liam Tuffs led us in the old song Maybe it’s because I’m a Londoner. Hearing it sung, in my own London accent, by fellow Londoners (we are a diminishing breed) did bring  speck of dust to my eye.

Janice Atkinson the MEP was next.

She said there is a quiet revolution happening, something has woken up. She described Tommy as a political prisoner and said her colleagues in Europe (she credits Geert Wilders with opening her eyes to many abuses) are astounded.

Then Geert Wilders himself spoke. We had been doubtful whether he would be allowed into the country, as he was refused entry before when invited by Lord Pearson and Baroness Cox, but this time he couldn’t be refused.

So, London, how are you? So good to see so many of you here today.

I am here to tell you that you will never walk alone.

And Free Tommy Robinson, which received tumultuous applause.

Again you are outside Downing Street, and a loud as possible let them hear our message,

Oh, Tommy Tommy. Tommy, Tommy, Tommy, Tommy, Robinson.

So listen to us Theresa May

So listen to us Sajid Javid

So listen to us Sadiq Khan (his name received the biggest boo, of the afternoon)

We want Tommy released.

Tommy Robinson is the greatest freedom fighter of Europe today. He says what no one else is willing to say. He has guts and courage. We are become foreigners in our own lands and they call us racist and islamophobia. But enough is enough, not more.

Picture above taken by one of my trusted friends who was in a closer position than me.

Your fathers and grandfathers liberated my country from tyranny. The Netherlands today is a free country because of the British men who fought. We called these British soldiers Tommys. Today our Tommy is in jail, behind bars. Set him free.

He is in jail while the government looked the other way while girls and children were raped.

The crowd shouted and gestured towards Downing street, “Shame on You, shame on you”

Tommy refused to look the other way. He has given a voice to millions. To jail him is not democracy or freedom.

Today we have a message for all the governments of the world.
We will not be silenced.

We are not afraid of you.

We will not surrender.

We will protect our country.

Throw us in jail but we will not be defeated.

My friends, long live great Britain, long live the Netherlands and long live Tommy Robinson.

I didn’t catch the next speaker’s name. He said, Tommy is not a racist. You are not racists. I can see all colours here in this crowd, even ginger people.

Tommy’s arrest that day was far too swift. But I do not blame the police. My guess is they were ordered to do so. I wish they were ordered to do more about the wave of gun and knife crime in our streets under this fucking mayor. I won’t even say his name. Too many people died in the streets of our capital city.

Look, there are members of the mainstream media at the front of the area here – none of you have the balls to report this have you? Like Tommy did? Tommy would never deliberately jeopardise a trial. Therefore as there was never any intend I call for Tommy to be granted leave to appeal, then have the conviction overturned and let him return home.

Raheem Kassam then spoke formally.

He said we will take the fight to Sadiq Khan, and I put two fingers up at Theresa May. (Sadly she is in Canada for the G7 summit but I hope that she gets a report tonight.)

He continued, I have just had a text from Washington DC. Steve Bannon expresses his support and wishes he could be here.

Look at other countries in Europe, Italy, Hungary. They are taking their countries back and we are going to join them. Yes, the knuckle-draggers are united.

Let me reiterate for the benefit of the BBC – we have over 20,000 people here.

This picture taken on my camera for me by a friendly Scotsman who had clambered onto a window sill above my head, a feat of agility that would have been beyond me even when young. Thank you. 

The British are coming back.

Anne Marie Waters of For Britain

I have a message for Theresa May. A series of questions which included.

Why is it so easy for the state to imprison Tommy Robinson but so difficult to jail men who have been found in bed with under-age girls?

So easy to imprison a man who left bacon outside a mosque, but not a jihadist?

Why we are encouraged to be so angry over Grenfell which was a terrible accident, but are expected to forget terrorism deaths and rapes?

Why so easy to jail Tommy Robinson too difficult to do anything about the mountain of crimes committed in the name of Islam?

We will not accept the iron fist of Islam and no matter what names they call you, the truth will still remain the truth.

We must keep going.

Next was Tracey Blackman.  She is a personal friend of Tommy. She met a round of applause; this is a lady who (with her family, and the families of the other boys) has suffered.  They are the parents of three teenage boys who were killed in south London earlier this year when they were rammed by a car. The family believe that the police have covered up a deliberate murder for the sake of harmonious race relations. She spoke of how she had met Tommy, and her belief that another reason for Tommy’s arrest was to ensure that he and the parents would stop. But it hasn’t worked. Our strength is our words.

She challenged Theresa May to come out and look into the faces of mothers whose children were murdered but your establishment has covered it up, but you are not fit for purpose.

There was another speaker but I wasn’t able to listen to him.

The final speaker was Kev Carroll, who is well known to us as Tommy’s cousin and co-founder of the EDL.

He spoke of Tommy as a family man, a brilliant father. And as for how a father gets in a position to be put in prison, well he’s doing it for the further of his children, and all children.

He isn’t ‘far right’; what sort of far right extremist gets involved with a children’s cancer charity?

I know he is my cousin, but he is also my best friend. He’s absolutely loyal. He will be humbled to see this sea of his countrymen and women, his brothers and sisters.  God bless you all.

We sang the national anthem and began to disperse.

I have heard that there was a small group of maybe 20 men who clashed with the police away from the main rally with the result that the four pubs of Whitehall closed temporarily. Out of 20,000 people that is a very low incidence of bad behaviour, however it is the aspect of the day upon which all the newspapers have focused. Other than Breitbart who wrote about Geert Wilders

On the way to Westminster underground station the police were clearing up after the left wingers. They are a lazy and untidy bunch. 

Photographs E Weatherwax and a friend. London June 2018