Three arrested as thousands march
POLICE arrested three men as thousands of people descended on Westminster for a “Brexit betrayal” march led by Tommy Robinson and UKIP.
Scotland Yard said the three were held for a public order offence, assault and possession of an offensive weapon, respectively.
Among the pro-Brexit supporters were several Army veterans. One said he fought and lost comrades in the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
Former Private Robert Gray, 64, who travelled to London with friends from York for
the march after joining UKIP earlier this year, wore his old dog lead from his days in the Northern Irish dog unit.
The grandad-of-16, who was part of the Duke of Wellington Regiment, said: “I'm a soldier, I fought for my country, for my Queen, and not the freeloaders that sit in there [Parliament] lying to us. We elected them to do a job for us, but they are not doing it. I saw lots of comrades die, but the beautiful thing is I get called a racist.
“How can these people turn around and call us veterans Nazis when we fought them? I think it’s despicable. They haven’t got a clue. They talk Left-wing politics. Corbyn hates the British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. Unfortunately we cannot have a defenceless country, we cannot have open borders, it’s ridiculous.”
Scotland Yard placed restrictions on the march as well as on a counter-demonstration organised by Labour supporters and antifascists. Among those marching against the Brexit betrayal group were Labour grassroots group Momentum and Unite Against Fascism.
A Momentum spokeswoman said about 15,000 turned up to oppose Mr Robinson’s march, claiming it “vastly” outnumbered them nearly five to one.