The killing of Charlie Kirk is being used by Tommy Robinson to mobilise support before what is expected to be Britain’s largest far-right rally in decades, which will include speakers from Britain, the US and Europe.
Steve Bannon, Donald Trump’s former chief strategist, is among those listed to appear on stage at the rally in central London, which is expected to draw tens of thousands for an event that Robinson has been heavily attempting to monetise.
Other planned speakers include Ant Middleton, a former UK special forces soldier who has increasingly used far-right rhetoric, as well as an MP for Germany’s far-right AfD party and a far-right Polish MEP.
Other Americans making the trip include Joey Mannarino, a self-styled US rightwing commentator who said: “All rape cases have just become fake to me” after a civil case alleging sexual assault by Trump.
However, there are doubts about whether one of the most high-profile speakers, the Canadian psychology professor and culture warrior Jordan Peterson, will appear.
While he is listed in the lineup and has been a supporter of Robinson online, he has made no mention of the event recently. His appearance would also pose questions about his continued association with the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC), a yearly gathering in London involving businesses and conservatives that has included the Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, and Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK.
A pause on any new leave being booked has been imposed by police, who have had to contend with violence on the fringes of previous events involving Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon.
In a video to supporters on Thursday about the Kirk shooting, Robinson talked about “the bastard who has murdered him, or the organisation, the corporation or the government it is that has killed him”.
A 22-year-old man, identified as Tyler Robinson by Spencer Cox, governor of Uta, was later arrested as a suspect in the fatal shooting.
The rally is expected to attract upwards of 40,000 attenders, according to the anti-extremism group Hope Not Hate. A smaller gathering organised by the group Stand Up to Racism is also taking place.
The Stand Up to Racism march to a rally at Whitehall will be led by a Women Against the Far Right contingent including the MPs Zarah Sultana and Diane Abbott.
“The far right are a menace to the whole of society. Their first targets, asylum seekers and Muslims, are broadening to all migrants, black people and on to trade unionists, all religious minorities and anti-racists,” said Abbott.
Nick Lowles, of Hope Not Hate, said: “This is going to be big, but we are also talking about movement to the right of Reform UK and we still don’t know where it is going.”
Robinson also recently said he had joined Advance UK, a party set up by former senior figures in Reform UK, including Ben Habib, which will itself be formally launched next month.
Robinson has increasingly pivoted towards an outwardly Christian nationalist position, particularly after his release from his latest prison sentence. Christian nationalists will be among the crowd, but a large section are expected to be drawn from the ranks of those who have taken part in the recent wave of protests outside asylum-seeker accommodation.
As with other Robinson events, the core of support is also expected to come from a network of football fan and hooligan firms that are also involved in the English Defence League (EDL).
Lowles posed the question: “What does this rally signify politically? One scenario is that people will coalesce around Tommy Robinson and Advance UK, but it will require him to step up.”
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“A lot of what he does is about himself and he’s been engaged in a huge amount of merchandising for this event, as well as constant appeals for money towards a goal of about £300,000. What will he do with it? Advance UK need him more than he needs them, but equally this could become part of his fight with Farage.”
The Metropolitan police has been engaged in discussions with Robinson before the event. The force does not give permission for protests but requires advance notice of a procession to allow for appropriate planning.
A Met spokesperson said: “Saturday will be a busy day in London and officers will be on duty in significant numbers to keep people safe.”
The force said Muslim Londoners should not change their plans in light of the rally.
Commander Clair Haynes, who is in charge of the public order policing operation in London this weekend, said: “We recognise that there are particular concerns for many in London’s Muslim communities ahead of the ‘Unite the Kingdom’ protest given the record of anti-Muslim rhetoric and incidents of offensive chanting by a minority at previous marches.
“There have been some suggestions that Muslim Londoners should change their behaviour this Saturday, including not coming into town. That is not our advice.
“Everyone should be able to feel safe travelling into and around London.”
As well as Robinson’s rally, which is styled as a “free speech festival” and will take place at the southern end of Whitehall after a march from Waterloo, the counter-protest by Stand Up to Racism will take place at the northern end of Whitehall, after a march from Russell Square.
“There are a number of other events taking place on the same day, including multiple football fixtures, which will all form part of the policing operation,” the Met spokesperson said.
