London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

UK: Black Lives Matter supporter carries injured 'far-right protester' to safety

A suspected far-right protester was carried to safety by a supporter of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement on Saturday as animosity was briefly set aside on a day of clashes in London between police and rival groups.
Pictures showed a white man, who the crowd identified as a far-right member, clutching his head as a black man carried him over his shoulders, flanked by police in riot gear.

The white man had been set upon on the steps leading to the Royal Festival Hall in central London and badly beaten, before other protesters stepped in to protect him, Reuters journalists at the scene said.

Earlier in the day there were skirmishes between anti-racism groups and far-right activists.

Several hundred demonstrators, mostly white men, attended a protest at Parliament Square organised by extremist groups including Britain First. Football fans, veterans and far-right groups all vowed to ‘defend’ memorials from anti-racism protests this weekend after Winston Churchill’s statue in Parliament Square was defaced and a statue of slave trader Edward Colston was dragged down in Bristol last weekend.

BLM had cancelled a planned protest in London on Saturday amid fears it would be targeted by hate groups, while Sadiq Khan urged people to stay away, warning there was a threat of it becoming hijacked by groups intent on causing violence.

However, some protesters with Black Lives Matter placards gathered peacefully at Trafalgar Square to protest against racism and police brutality.

Later in the day, police struggled to keep anti-racism protesters and far-right groups apart, with images showing the two groups clashing at Waterloo station.

Boris Johnson has condemned the ‘racist thuggery’ of the far-right, warning anyone attacking police will be met with the full force of the law.

Protests against racism and police brutality have gone ahead on a daily basis in cities across the world since the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May.

Today, peaceful anti-racism protests took place elsewhere across the UK, including Liverpool, Bristol, Brighton and Manchester.

Though counter-demonstrations resulted in tensions flaring up at times, in Bolton, Greater Manchester, things ended with the two sides shaking hands in another inspiring moment of solidarity.

BLM 4 Bolton organisers say they were met by the opposing group as soon as they arrived to set up.

Counter-demonstrators, some of whom were in biking gear, chanted ‘all lives matter’ and booed loudly as anti-racism protesters demanded equality.

BLM organisers assured their followers that they ‘would not be riled up’ in the face of abuse and expletives and continued to make speeches and sing calmly.

Meanwhile, one man who appeared to be a leader of the counter-demonstrators physically restrained those from his side, announcing that they were present to protect Bolton’s war memorial and nothing more.

Tensions did briefly break out along the front line of the two protests, the Manchester Evening News reported, with police piling in to control the crowds.

When the groups began to disperse, two young black men from the BLM group walked forward across the square and extended their hands to the counter-demonstrators.

Applause rang out across the square as the two sides embraced and shook hands.

A young black man said: ‘We’re here to support Black Lives Matter
because my life matters’, while a counter-protester said: ‘We’re here to protect our grandparents’ monument’.

BLM solidarity marchers said that the Cenotaph was never a target for them and kept their cool as ‘all lives matter’ chants continued.

Reporters at the scene said the discussions were heated but that protesters from both sides seemed genuinely willing to spell out their thoughts and beliefs, explaining why they were there and hearing each other out.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×