Thousands of Tommy Robinson supporters gather in central London

Thousands of supporters of Tommy Robinson have come together in central London for a protest, although the political activist himself will not be present as he has been taken into custody by the police.

The Metropolitan Police imposed a rule on Robinson's Unite the Kingdom rally, stating that the march to Parliament Square could not start until after 1 PM.

It seems that the crowds grew so big that the rally overflowed from its original gathering place near Victoria Station. Initially, police formed a barrier to prevent the demonstrators from moving along Victoria Street.

The predominantly white, middle-aged male crowd of protesters occasionally erupted with shouts of “oh Tommy, Tommy.” Many waved union flags, and one individual displayed a sign that said “Peter Lynch RIP patriot,” which was in memory of a prisoner involved in riots who had recently passed away while incarcerated.

The officers were wearing riot gear and holding extendable batons, yet none of them had helmets on. The blue vans belonging to the territorial support group, which is a specialized unit for managing public order, were also on the scene.

The protest is anticipated to face a response from Stand Up to Racism, which has urged its followers to join in a large-scale anti-fascist rally and "hit the streets."

The United Families and Friends Campaign is organizing its yearly memorial march starting from Trafalgar Square to honor those who have lost their lives while in police custody. This event will also include a demonstration against the recent decision to acquit firearms officer Martyn Blake, who was involved in the shooting of Chris Kaba.

Protesters came together, displaying banners that said “No justice,” “No one is forgotten, nothing is forgiven,” and “Say no to hate, no to fascism.”

Robinson, 41, whose actual name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is facing allegations of ignoring a court order following the showing of a film during a demonstration in Trafalgar Square in July.

On Friday, he went to the police station in Folkestone, where he was held until a session at Woolwich crown court on Monday. This hearing is related to claims that he violated a 2021 high court ruling that prohibited him from making defamatory statements about a Syrian refugee who had previously won a lawsuit against him.

On Friday, Robinson faced a separate charge for not giving police the access code for his mobile phone, as required by schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000, according to Kent police.

The Metropolitan police, along with the British Transport police, are receiving assistance from officers from various forces around the nation for the protests. The Met has announced that there will be a "substantial police presence" to make sure the two groups remain separated.