"The hundreds of responses we received told their own story of polarisation. While many condemned the event as a scary indication of a country sleepwalking to fascism, others were emphatic that the event was not far right, and had been attended by ordinary people from all walks of life in defence of British values. Alongside passionate defences of Britain's diversity, however, anti-immigrant sentiments were openly shared."
"Having said that, I grew up in a highly Eurosceptic area [and] the protests came on the back of a trip home where I immediately noticed that the town I grew up in was plastered in union jacks and St George's Crosses even our local Chinese restaurant. This made me realise, to a point of considerable discomfort, that I'm potentially out of whack with a lot of other people."
"This was not a far-right rally. This was a free speech protest. Given [the number] of people in attendance, the amount of violence was very low. I have mobility issues and dislike crowd situations, otherwise I would have attended. However, if future protests are held, I will seriously consider attending them."
Tommy Robinson's 'Unite the Kingdom' march in London drew an estimated 110,000 protesters and 5,000 counter-protesters, exposing deep societal polarisation. Many condemned the event as a frightening sign of a country sliding toward fascism, while others insisted the gathering reflected ordinary people defending British values and free speech. Anti-immigrant sentiments appeared alongside vigorous defenses of Britain's diversity. Disappointment with government emerged as a common sentiment. Government officials affirmed continuation of social cohesion work initiated by Angela Rayner. Personal accounts described cultural dissonance, flag displays in towns, and debate over the level of violence at the event.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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