Far-right football hooligans came to Armistice Day counter-demonstrations wearing stab vests and prepared to attack pro-Palestine protesters following comments made by ex-home secretary Suella Braverman, i can reveal.
Police made at least 126 arrests this weekend, many from groups who claimed they were “protecting” the Cenotaph following a call to arms from controversial figures such as Tommy Robinson, former leader of the English Defence League (EDL).
Assistant Met Commissioner Matt Twist said on Saturday that he was “deeply” concerned by the “extreme violence” police officers had witnessed from far-right groups, noting that “intense debate over protest and policing” had increased tensions ahead of the weekend.
It followed comments from Ms Braverman that police were biased in favour of pro-Palestine protesters, with critics accusing her of stoking tensions.
Rishi Sunak described the clashes as “unacceptable” and has reacted by sacking Ms Braverman from her job as home secretary today.
Now, i can reveal the extent to which far-right thugs came intent on violence.
A group calling itself the “British Defence League” used the private messaging board Discord to organise hundreds of supporters across the country.
Although supporters were asked to be “vetted” by administrators before they were allowed to join, i was able to briefly infiltrate the messaging board on Friday.
It was filled with Islamophobic comments, including the message: “All Islam is evil”.
Other comments revolved around preparing for violence.
“Everyone set for tomorrow?” one poster asked. In response, a user calling himself “Fighting Lad” wrote: “Balaclava, Stab resistant vest, England flag, poppy”, alongside tick emojis.
Others shared a link to the online shopping giant Amazon for a stab vest. “If they attack f**k it I’m all in lads don’t give a f**k if I get stabbed tbh [to be honest],” wrote one member.
“Put something barbed at the end of the umbrella stab ’em with it rip it out,” wrote another.
“I know a few groups forming in Southall that are getting ready for it,” another member wrote. “Most EDL are coming from London that I’m aware of, got loads of people coming from Norfolk to London.”
Robinson, who has claimed the EDL was dissolved when he left in 2014, reacted angrily to the sacking of Ms Braverman on Monday.
“Imagine that, fired for telling the TRUTH. CONsevatives are piss weak, yellow bellied, spineless cucks to the left. What a disgrace,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Before being removed from Cabinet, Ms Braverman was facing accusations, including from Tory ministers, that she was fuelling the prospect of disorder on Armistice Day by describing pro-Palestinian protesters who planned to demonstrate as taking part in “hate marches”, a phrase no one in Cabinet had endorsed.
She also faced accusations that she was emboldening the far-right, with hooligans eventually turning out in large numbers which led to ugly scenes near Whitehall in counter-protests over the weekend.
Labour’s Shadow Home secretary Yvette Cooper said Ms Braverman’s criticisms of the Met had further stoked division saying: “Instead of working with police in run up to weekend, Suella Braverman chose to attack them and inflame tensions. No other Home Secretary would have done that.”
Police said weapons were recovered from some of those arrested on Saturday, including a knife, baton and knuckleduster as well as Class A drugs.
Nine police officers were injured including two requiring hospital treatment for a suspected dislocated hip and a fractured elbow.
Nick Lowles, chief executive of the anti-fascist group Hope Not Hate, said the rhetoric of recent weeks had fired up far-right groups and welcomed the sacking of Ms Braverman.
“I do think this is a dangerous time because I think that clearly until 10 days ago, the football hooligan world were not interested in Israel-Palestine,” he told The Guardian.
“Suddenly now football hooligans … all over the country are getting angry, they’re waking up.”
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