Photos from the weekend’s far-right ‘Football Lad’ rally
- Text by Dominique Sisley
- Photography by Theo McInnes
On Saturday afternoon, supporters of the Democratic Football Lads’ Alliance (DFLA) swarmed the streets of London for a far-right demonstration.
The march, which began in Park Lane, saw hundreds of mostly middle-aged, white football fans rally across the capital. According to Facebook, they were gathering to protest against the “returning jihadists,” “rape gangs and groomers” and “thousands of AWOL migrants” they believe are living in the UK.
While the demonstration was supposed to reach Whitehall, things quickly took a violent turn halfway through, leading the police to forcibly blockade the protestors on Pall Mall. Scuffles then began to break out between the police and the angry racist lads, with one reportedly threatening to murder an officer.
Thankfully, the march was also blocked by scores of counter-protestors – approximately 2,000 to the DFLA’s 1,500 – who were out in force to take a stand against the far right. This included groups from Stand Up To Racism, Unite Against Fascism and Momentum, as well as Antifa and Women’s Strike.
In a joint statement, Jeremy Corbyn and Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott praised the efforts of these counter groups: “Congratulations on today’s demonstration standing up against racism and far-right extremism,” they said.
“We’re in solidarity with all those around the world standing up to oppose racism and to support the diversity of our communities. We’re proud to walk in the traditions of anti-racism campaigners and activists. Your fight is our fight.”
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