LONDON, March 28 (Reuters) – Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of central London on Saturday for a “March to Stop the Far Right” with many demonstrators decrying the right-wing Reform UK party of Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage, which is topping opinion polls.
Backed by trade unions and civil society groups, the Together Alliance demonstration was attended by an estimated 50,000 people, according to police officials cited by UK media.
As well as placards opposing Reform UK and its anti-immigration stance, some Iranian flags were held aloft along with pro-Palestinian flags and banners.
Reform leads the Labour Party of Prime Minister Keir Starmer as well as the other traditional British political parties, according to opinion polls. Zach Polanski, leader of the Green Party, which is also challenging Labour, joined Saturday’s march.
London’s Metropolitan Police said 25 arrests were made in connection with the demonstration and another pro-Palestinian protest, which also took place on Saturday.
(Reporting by Yann Tessier; additional reporting by Rajveer Singh Pardesi in Bengaluru;Writing by William Schomberg; Editing by Joe Bavier, Rod Nickel)
