I am no supporter of Tommy Robinson. And I condemn those who join demonstrations with violent intent. Twenty-six police officers being hurt at Saturday’s Unite the Kingdom protest is 26 too many. We do not know if some of the violence came from a clash with the counter-demo or from the protest itself, but all violence by either side is wrong. I am also a keen student of the public mood. I was struck on Saturday by the huge numbers of people, many on their first march, who wanted to show love of our country and our national flags.
There were three unusual features of the demonstration. There was its size, with the authorities apparently only able to estimate those who got to Whitehall, not all the others kept out by lack of space. There is general agreement it was many more than the 110,000 first used in news bulletins. There was the peaceful and friendly approach of most of those attending. There was the sense that many people who do not normally protest have just had enough and want their moderate voices heard.
The Government is right to condemn the handful that got involved in a fight. Anyone hurting someone else other than in self-defence, especially those harming police personnel, should be prosecuted.
But the Government would be wrong to write off the thousands of others who felt they needed to express their concerns by taking to the streets.
The stated theme of the rally was to support freedom of speech. The Government and its critics have different views of this. The protesters seem to share the Trump/Vance view that social media regulation in the UK has become too restrictive.
Some famous cases of imprisoning people for putting out unpleasant tweets and threatening journalists for using difficult language have riled people.
Why, they ask, have rapists and criminal gangs dealing in drugs and people-smuggling often gone free whilst some who let their emotions come out in raw words have been arrested?
Why go to prison for a bad X phrase which you withdraw and apologise for? Isn’t human trafficking or peddling life-threatening drugs more serious than nasty words?
The case for arrest for bad words is clear if someone is inciting people to particular violence and telling them how join a criminal event or activity. That is rightly a serious crime.
But the use of military or fighting metaphors is quite common in political debate and is usually easily distinguishable from incitement to violence. “We will fight for free speech” is not normally seen as an invitation to a riot.
There was probably much more behind the marchers than the important but narrow issue of what you are allowed to say. The name of the march was a friendly “Unite the Kingdom”.
That took it much wider than the question of who gets prosecuted for what speech or tweet and how people are punished. The unifying theme of the marchers was the wish to display national flags.
This was a culmination of a grass roots movement to adorn many public spaces with flags, only to see councils that have backed a wide variety of foreign and lobby group flags find people and money to go around taking them down. Why?
I was in London on Saturday afternoon but did not attend the rally. I was talked to by a few protesters on their way home. I was travelling to the Last Night of the Proms where we were allowed to wave our Union flags and to be proud of our country.
The protesters felt that despite being law-abiding taxpayers their wishes were being ignored on a wide range of issues.
They mentioned how they wanted the small boat gangs smashed as promised. They did not like being called far-right as they did not see themselves as involved in party politics. They saw themselves as long-suffering moderates.
They wanted fewer people coming to live in the UK given housing shortages, high rents, rising benefit bills and low wages. They wanted more action on rape gangs, shoplifting and vandalism.
They above all wanted to feel in many areas of policy that law-abiding, taxpaying citizens came before international lawyers, political correctness and policies that harm UK prosperity and success.
They are not people with a political programme. They are not serial protesters. They are many thousands representing millions that believe in our country and want it to have a better future.
They were so positive about the history, culture, achievements and opportunities for the UK. They were bemused as to why for some there is anything wrong about love of country and displaying the flag.
The Government must see from the polls they have lost the trust of these people where once they had it from many. The correct response is to understand the many peaceful demonstrators and to do more to create their vision of a law-abiding country we can be proud of.