Britishness and Free Speech – Why We Travelled 200 Miles to Robinson’s London Rally



Reeta ChakrabartBBC News
The Valley is shruded in a Heavy Drizzle and the Streets are Restful on the Avenue to Ystalyfera.
IT’S A FAR CRY FROM The Noise and Cacophony of Central London’s Streets Final Saturday where Police Estimate BetWeen 110,000 and 150,000 Of us Gathered to Stutter.
The A long way-Steady Activist Tommy Robinson Attracted Many Extra Of us than The Authorities Had Expected to HIS Kingdom Rally Final Weekend-Despite His Soveral Felony Convictions and Reputation for Inflammatory Language.
But why did thusands of Of us Chase back and forth Miles to the Coronary heart of the Westminster to March with a Man Reviled by Mainstream Politics – Carrying a Banner Calling for Remigration Now?
Compare from the Deem Tank British Future and Extra in Normal Sugests Tommy Robinson’s Core Reinforce Hasn’t Increas in Greater than a Decade – but he has become extra visible, and with that he’s drawn in oters who’re very discontent.
Greater than 700 These that Attended the March, and some who in opposition to suppose on a counter-Stutter, contacted your suppose your bbc, with their views that day and why they had been.
Suzanne Philpott from South Wales used to be one of many other folk that got in contactact.
SO we had been to meet her and her husband sam, who has each and each traveled almost 200 miles from their pub to the March.

Suzanne Mentioned She’d Never Attended a Stutter sooner than but used to be compiled to walk that develop the freedom of speech.
She Told us at the atmosphere they’ve chanced on had ben that of a family competition.
HER HUSBAND SAM ADDED: “I Didn’t Chase Cecause Tommy Robinson used to be Main it. It staunch so came about that deid. I was Becouse i’d Watch from Conversations with Mates That Going to Be A Nice Had been standing up for Being british.”
I Requested Him if he used to be Chuffed About Going to A March Led by Tommy Robinson. Sam Replyed that the being concerned recount wants to be that anyone labelled a a long way -upright thug is ready to possess that many other folk in the Capital Metropolis – Because Of us are that upset.
Pushed Him on What Tommy Robinson Represents – For Many and A Racist with Unhealthy Views.
Sam’s Answer is one thing one thing opinion about.
“I hang that a couple of of the Issues and Stands for, that isn’t very self -standing for … he talks to the working class man in a arrangement that that that is the authorities aren’t ablent to.
Suzanne has proceed this village pub, the flying pig, for the closing seven years and she’s made many Adjustments like an homosexual night and encuraging extra originate discussions at the Bar About Sensive.
A Few of the Regulars Take a seat and Listne to Our Dialogue. Suzanne tells with two Tiny Coaches of Of us Went Down to the Stutter March from this – so why did she walk?
“I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT. I DIDN’T KNOW IT WAS A UNITE The Kingdom Rally. Notion it used to be a freedom of Speech March. I Deem Fundamental No longer Lawful For Us, But for Future Generations.”
But Why did she truly feel that freedom of speech is below threat and in what Procedure?
“I Deem IT’S Coming From All Various Parties. Deem IT’S NOT JUST FROM FAR LEFT OR FAR RIGHT. I THINK IT’S FROM GRASSROTS Stage of Teachers it is a need to need to make expend of the upright pronouns for Particular Genders. Flag.
Steady through Our Dialog Sam Speaks Several Instances About Being Ample with His Britishness – I Requested Him What That Supposed To Him.
“Coming from a working class background i know that nearly all males, my age, with a young family, all they want with a impartial to work and own Sufficient Money to feed and place over their family.
“For the time being the working man is struggling Because costs are throughout the roof, rent is throughout the roof. And what now we were tears of Of us coming Over Do up in accommodations. Assist Others but Charity Begins at Dwelling, you wants to be having a care for Our first. “

A full bunch of Others Contained the BBC, and Our personnel spoke to many from correct throughout the uk who used to be to march and echoed a couple of of what the philpotts suppose.
It used to be about nationalism not color, acknowledged one from Dorset; The rally used to be stuffed with households, mums and dads with their young other folk, acknowledged every other from Kent.
One man acknowledged it used to be not a a long way-upright march but an different for out of the ordinary british These which would possibly perchance be sad with the course of the Country.
A Lady from Portsmouth Told US Tommy Robinson used to be Announcing the Steady Issues, and No One Was once Listening As adversarial to Him.
A BRITISH MUSLIM MAN WHO EMAILED US, SAID MANY MIGANTS HAD ALREADY Skilled Civil Wars in Their Countries and that “Seeing this Abhor Towards My Childhood is Very Alarming”.
Police Insist Eight Of us Possess Been Charged AFTER BROKE OUT DURING The Protests and 24 Had been arrested in the origin for a unfold of offenses.
Will the Rallies indicate a deepenting divide in our Society?
One Facet Has Fears Over The Be conscious of Living, Of us’s Sense of Identification, and the Arrival of NewComers and How one can Contend with pronouncing.
On the opposite is a profound be troubled that tensions are being stoked with divisions language which has right-lifestyles consequeences.
Sam rowe who is of blended breed heritage, used to be at the Smaller Counter-Stutter and Contained US About what it used to be like for Him.
“I was afraid, it didn’t truly feel Safe at Instances,” he acknowledged.
He used to be to the counter suppose gcause he acknowledged it used to be well-known to repeat that noterybody aggregated with the Views of the Kingdom March Leaders.
“I heard anyone racist language as smartly at the rally being and it does develop me a dinky extra afraid to type and be on the streets, though i’m and used to be born right here.
“But i Deem It ‘Easy for us to inform that the rally used to be stuffed with These which would possibly perchance be racist. Deem that used to be very evident in the speceches they gave. “
These rallies own Attracted Of us Willing to Fail to identify Tommy Robinson’s Extremism to Stutter About Their Be pleased Frustrations – Leaving Others Worlds Their in Our Society is Being Challenged.
From the voices we’ve heard, the premise of the Britishness and what it technique is Changing correct into a BattleGround.
Extra Reporting: Sadaf Maruf
Correction 20 September 2025: An Earlier model of this text incorrectly saved the counter-Stutter used to be organked by Hope Abhor. It used to be organised by stand as much as racism.
Source hyperlink