London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Jul 13, 2025

Protest groups descend on central London following anniversary of Ukraine war

Protest groups descend on central London following anniversary of Ukraine war

Peter Tatchell was one of a group of 30 who interrupted a rally by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and Stop the War coalition

Pro-Ukraine counter-protesters led by campaigner Peter Tatchell confronted activists calling for the UK to stop sending arms to Ukraine in central London.

Mr Tatchell shouted “Chamberlain” – a reference to prime minister Neville Chamberlain’s policy of appeasing Adolf Hitler’s Nazi regime – in reply to protesters who angrily accused him of being an “American stooge”.

He was one of a group of 30 who interrupted a rally by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) and Stop the War coalition outside the BBC’s Broadcasting House.

His fellow protesters chanted “arm, arm, arm Ukraine, put an end to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s reign” and “self-defence is no offence”.


Mr Tatchell told the PA news agency: “We’re here to protest Stop the War over its opposition to Ukraine. Their stance would leave Ukraine defenceless and result in Russia occupying and annexing all of Ukraine.

“Russia is a fascist, imperialist state, and all progressive people should oppose the Putin regime and Russia’s war of aggression.

“We should arm Ukraine in the same way that we armed anti-Nazi resistance during the Second World War. This is a war between Ukrainian democracy and Russian fascism.”

His group held a banner reading “Victory to Ukraine, arm Ukraine to defeat Russian imperialism”.

CND and Stop the War claim Russia’s invasion was partially caused by “Nato expansion” in eastern Europe.

Their protesters held placards saying “Peace now!”, “No to War” and “Wages not Weapons”, with one man flying an inflatable anvil that read: “Is this anvil really cast iron? Are the Biden gang’s alibis?”

Stop the War organiser Terina Hine, 54, said Ukraine would become the “Afghanistan of Europe” if it and its supporters did not stop “backing Putin into a corner”.

She told PA: “If we carry on backing Putin into a corner, there’s a very high chance that it will escalate on a nuclear level.

“It’s likely the war will be very long and very drawn out and if it carries on the way that it has been doing so far, it will lead to thousands upon thousands of deaths and Ukraine becoming the Afghanistan of Europe.

“The war will eventually end by peace negotiations. So why not do that now?

“Anybody who has even dared mentioned anything along those lines has been accused of being a traitor, or an appeaser or any of those other terms that are used as an attack line against people who just want peace.”

Tom Unterrainer, 42, chairman of the CND, said negotiations were inevitable and claimed there is no reason to delay them.

He told PA: “Everybody knows that this will end with negotiations. Everybody knows that this will end with diplomacy.

“So the only question on the table now is how much destruction will there be in Ukraine, how many Ukrainians will die and how much closer will we get to the nightmare of nuclear use.

“Given that there’s a wide recognition that this conflict will end in negotiation, given that there’s such a sharply posed nuclear threat, then now is the time to negotiate. We do not have the time to wait.”

The Met Police has been approached for comment.


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
A 92-year-old woman, who felt she doesn't belong in a nursing home, escaped the death-camp by climbing a gate nearly 8 ft tall
French Journalist Acquitted in Controversial Case Involving Brigitte Macron
Elon Musk’s xAI Targets $200 Billion Valuation in New Fundraising Round
Kraft Heinz Considers Splitting Off Grocery Division Amid Strategic Review
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
EU Proposes New Tax on Large Companies to Boost Budget
Trump Imposes 35% Tariffs on Canadian Imports Amid Trade Tensions
Junior Doctors in the UK Prepare for Five-Day Strike Over Pay Disputes
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
×