Marching with Tommy Robinson
I joined a Tommy Robinson protest march in Telford, and it was not what I expected
Thousands of people descended on Telford this weekend to attend a protest march and documentary screening about the child grooming scandal in the town. With a counter protest against the presence of Robinson also planned, there was a large police operation throughout the day amidst local concerns of antisocial behaviour. I decided to attend the march, partly because the issue is something I feel strongly about and partly out of curiosity. The mainstream media only report on these events if there is trouble and the attendees own reports are likely to be biased the other way, so I wanted to experience it for myself and be able to report honestly given that there is such a divided field of opinion.
This was my first time attending any type of event connected to Robinson and in the interest of journalistic integrity I should be clear on my stance. I agree with much, though not all, of his general message but not so much his methodology, particularly during his time leading the English Defence League (EDL). I confess to having dismissed him as the thug he was portrayed as in the media until stumbling across his Oxford Union speech on YouTube which was quite shocking in its revelations about media bias. So I read his book about growing up in Luton and the issues that shaped his politics, much of it resonating with me having grown up in a town with smaller but similar issues. The standout moment though was a BBC documentary following him for a short time where he came across incredibly well – I was excited to see the reaction in the press the next day. But then, at the very end of the programme, a secretly filmed exchange between a drunk Robinson and a security guard where he used racial slurs was shown, and I recall thinking… that just sums it up. No matter how much good he does or how much support he has there will always be that element of his nature to be used against him, and we all know how powerfully emotive, and therefore effective, the ‘racist’ card is.
For me that was the end of any notion that Robinson could have a future in frontline politics, and I suspect he realised that too and instead focused on his journalism and activism which I have followed closely, including how he has been treated by the police, courts and media. Not all of his cries of victim are ingenuous, but many are certainly valid and it is for that reason I still pay attention to his activities. Lately I have become so thoroughly disillusioned with lack of a conservative option in British politics I decided to be more active, both with my writing but also physically going to meets and meetings, networking with like minded people drifting in the political wilderness. When I saw this advert for the march it seemed a decent place to start, on both fronts:
On the day of the march I arrived in Telford at the meeting point a little apprehensive about the type of person that would be there and their reaction to me arriving alone and unknown. It turned out there was nothing to worry about; a couple of hundred people were there as early as me… and just like me. Ordinary people of all ages and both sexes, dressed in all manner of styles and costumes, from a jolly older man in a full Union Jack suit to a young lady in full goth regalia and makeup. It was an eclectic, diverse, happy mix of people several of whom I’d seen on the packed train into Telford. I’m always fascinated that the young lads who look most likely to start trouble at a football match are the first to give up their seats for women and elderly people on public transport, and it proved the same again on that journey – I found myself marching next to the same lads a couple of hours later. There were a handful of beered up football hooligan types, and a few vain attempts to start chants of ‘E! D! L!’ but overwhelmingly the crowd was calm and friendly, talking to independent journalists (of which there were many, I was not aware of any mainstream outlets presence at any point during the day) and to friends new and old.
Once Robinson had arrived and the march began I conservatively estimate around two thousand people were there – more than I had expected deep down given the general apathy affecting Britain lately and the cold weather, but I must admit to feeling later on that it should have been so many more. This horrific abuse has been happening across the whole of Great Britain on a scale described as industrial, is still happening, and ONLY two thousand people came. Is the brand of Robinson really so toxic? Or are people blindly trusting that the authorities are going to deal with the matter? I honestly do not believe either reason is valid. This is not the Robinson or the following of his EDL days; and if the authorities have not stopped this despicable industry yet, what is to say they can, or will?
The march itself was relatively uneventful. One idiot threw a bottle at the police but hit a fellow marcher on the head instead, and during a brief interlude something happened in the crowd close to me and a small group of police officers tried to remove someone from the crowd – I am still unaware what the individual had done. Other than a handful singing racist football chants, the vast majority marched calmly and in good spirits. Robinson used the interlude while waiting for a road closure to be completed to urge protestors to respect the police on duty as the target of the protest was the top-down institutional corruption, not any individual’s actions. It seemed the crowd heeded his request.
By this time I was starting to feel much more comfortable in my surroundings, lots of people happy to chat about their reasons for attending and share frustrations at not only the child grooming issue but the state of Britain and its governance overall. I found I agreed with almost all of their concerns, and was amazed at the variety of people I met on the way. Elderly couples, groups of young women, some families with children, all there because they feel voiceless in the face of what often feels like the demise of our once great nation. The feeling of camaraderie was palpable, and I suddenly realised I had been walking and talking my way to the front. I glanced right and saw Robinson just a few feet away holding the banner being presented at the head of the march, and proudly took my turn for a minute or two holding it too to show my support for the cause.
On arrival at the location of the documentary screening there was a small counter protest organised behind police barriers by people objecting to the presence of Robinson and supporters in the town. Initially many of the marchers headed towards the towards barriers to engage the counter protestors, but again Robinson urged his audience to ignore them and make their way towards the giant outdoor stage and screen. Again, people heeded his request and although the counter protestors attempted to drown out the speeches and documentary with megaphones and chants of ‘Nazi, fascist scum!’ they were largely ineffectual and eventually were escorted away by the police. Many present could not comprehend why there would be a counter protest against a march demanding an end to institutional corruption and child grooming.
The documentary, ‘The Rape of Britain: Episode 5’, is produced by Robinson and his production team at Urban Scoop, and focuses on the experience of a survivor of child sexual exploitation at the hands of a Pakistani grooming gang operating in Telford. I have not seen the first four episodes so had no idea what to expect. It was harrowing stuff. As a father of daughters, listening to the survivors account of the horrific abuse she and others suffered at the hands of a rape gang was incredibly difficult. I won’t give too much away here but I would urge everyone to watch them all, as I will be doing this week. You can find them here:
https://rumble.com/user/TommyRobinsonOfficial
All in all the day was an eye opener. I reported for local TV on a post-Robinson EDL march in my home town a few years back, and they were an aggressive and intimidating crowd that caused some damage and there were violent outbursts (though I have to say on that day the counter protesters were just as bad, I would go as far as to say unhinged, in their behaviour). Did I expect similar scenes this time around? Yes, I did. But although a small number looked as though they belonged to the old crowd most were just ordinary folk.
The issues of the day, child grooming, targeting of white girls by Asian rape gangs, and institutional failures and corruption are a lot to take in, and I will carry out due diligence before repeating the claims made in the film. However, if only a fraction of the accusations levelled at individuals and institutions are true, we should all be deeply concerned about the direction of travel Britain is on. The next protest is in Oldham on 23rd March. I shall be there, and hope to see many more there too. Oldham is at the heart of not just another grooming scandal but also unbelievable accusations of institutional failure, even complicity.
At the end of the event Robinson addressed the crowd, and tasked each person with finding one more to bring to Oldham. Anyone want to be my plus one?
Peace and love x
Raise the #BritishStandard
