Thousands marched through London as part of The National Unity Demonstration against Racism and Fascism last Saturday, motivated by rising reports of hate crime and the rise of far-right political parties across the world.

The event, organised by Unite Against Fascism, marched from Oxford Circus to Whitehall, where politicians and trade union leaders gave speeches outside of Downing Street.

Speaking at the demonstration, Len McCluskey, General Secretary of Unite the Union, called the event “a clear message of unity, not division… of democracy against the wannabe Mussolinis and little Hitlers of the far right.”

A wide range of groups and causes were represented: trade unions, left-wing political organisations, subsets of the Labour party, Marxists and anti-capitalists.

A heavy police presence accompanied the crowd marching down Regent Street. The left of the street was cordoned off to contain the march, while the other side was filled with Saturday shoppers moving around the demonstration.

Many shops had hired extra security, with a line of police standing in front of the Apple store, for example.

After the crowd gathered outside Downing Street, invited speakers gave speeches. Themes revolved around how to combat the rising popularity of far right politics across the world, and how to reduce discrimination against ethnic and religious groups.

Jean Lambert, a Member of European Parliament (MEP) for the Green Party, told the crowd: “Across Europe we’re seeing the rise of hard-right parties. We’re seeing these same governments cracking down on civil society. We’re losing our reputation as a place where people feel safe, where people feel welcome.”

Much attention was given to far-right figures and recent attacks by far-right groups. There were consistent complaints against Tommy Robinson, Steve Bannon, Donald Trump, and the behaviour of their supporters.

Claude Moraes, MEP for Labour, brought attention to the case of the Italian MEP Cécile Kyenge, who is currently being sued for defamation after calling the ruling Italian League party racist.

Mick Cash, General Secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers, recalled a previous incident in July 2018 where their members were attacked while protesting an event against Tommy Robinson. “What they try to do is bully and intimidate us” he said.

The presence of a small group, that seemed more intent on agitation than providing a genuine response to the demonstration, disrupted the largely peaceful march.

Waving Trump 2020 flags and wearing ‘Make America Great Again’ hats, the group took up positions alongside the demonstration and began shouting through a megaphone during the speeches.

After tensions grew, the agitators were moved on and eventually hidden inside the Lord Moon of the Mall pub. A large group of police stood outside the pub to stop protesters entering.

This led to police surrounding a particularly vocal group of anti-fascist protesters, clad in black hoods and face masks, who had been shouting that the police were protecting fascists. Eventually, everyone dispersed without incident.

Throughout, those watching were vocal about their intentions and causes. One demonstrator, Farook, said: “I felt inspired by so many people coming together to stand against racism, but also saddened that people turned out to oppose it.”

Noelene, a veteran demonstrator, also commented on the presence of the right-wing activists: “It’s worrying that they are organising online… they’re thinking internationally.”

She also commented on the response of the police, saying that she had experienced police hostility in the past: “I know what the police are like,” she said. “I know what they were like in the 70s, but in some ways they’ve moved on.”

This seemed true for many present. Despite the hostility towards the state expressed by many in the crowd, much of the anger was directed at the far right rather than the police.

The police did not make any arrests at the demonstration and any potential violence was quickly handled.

However, the same could not be said for a simultaneous demonstration by the the environmentalist activists Extinction Rebellion, who blocked five London bridges earlier in the day resulting in over 80 arrests. Though both events were largely separate from each other, they did later converge on Westminster Bridge and Parliament Square later in the afternoon.

The increasing regularity of these demonstrations and the diversity of groups and causes shows that many are dissatisfied with the current actions and decisions of politicians both in the UK and internationally. However, whether those in power will react to these protests in a meaningful way remains to be seen.