Trafalgar Square - You Had To Be There

The 27th July, 2024 - from the Royal Courts of Justice to a huge event at Trafalgar Square, thousands of people came to London this Saturday to say "we love Britain, and we won't let it die". 

Patriotism in Trafalgar Square, 2024

Patriotism in Trafalgar Square, 1945 

Reports estimate up to 100,000 people in attendance. The square itself can hold over 35,000 - and the crowd spilled into the surrounding streets. Police officers were overheard saying they "didn't expect this many" attendees - a sentiment clearly shared by the BBC and mainstream papers as they realised it wasn't ignorable, and scrambled to find any nearby arrests they could fabricate a link to. Some might call it a protest, but the atmosphere was more akin to a festival or concert, helped on by the musical intervals between speakers. Numerous musicians contributed, including Tamara Lich all the way from Canada, known for orchestrating the truckers' convoy in 2022. The performances did, to put it politely, vary in quality, but the spirit of involvement from every single contributor was outstanding, from speakers to singers to media to stewards. It speaks to how powerfully Tommy can connect with people, and to how much motivation lies within resistors of the agenda. 

The speakers throughout the day included YouTubers like Carl Benjamin (also known from Lotus Eaters podcast) and Mahyar Tousi, as well as politicians like former MEP Gerard Batten, former MP Andrew Bridgen, and Reclaim founder Laurence Fox. Fox's speech could be described as short and not-so-sweet, since its most memorable feature was an attack on Nigel Farage for failing to attend the event. Fox himself then left the event shortly after speaking. Tommy polled the crowd on who they had voted for, listing Labour, Tory, and Reform, and the latter was met with a resounding cheer. Farage doesn't need to attend these events to ensure his support base, but he does need to avoid them to ensure his legitimacy. 

Simon Bean MBE, "the Maverick Veteran", gave a moving speech detailing the multitude of ways in which this country lets down its military and ex-military. People who have served are left ignorant of how to live as civilians, left to make up 6% of rough sleepers while illegals from small boats are put straight into 4 star hotels. And that's only the recorded rough sleepers in urban streets. Illegals are handed roofs, food, money, and smartphones at the drop of a hat, while veterans have to fight tooth and nail just to be referred to the most basic services. His speech was well delivered. It was accurate and effective, and the crowd reflected that in their engagement. 

The other significant component of the event was the showing of Tommy's documentary "Truth on Trial", for which he has since been arrested under the Terrorism Act. The documentary investigates partially an incident that went viral between three school boys, one of whom was Syrian, but focusses on the corruption of the mainstream media and the courts, and how they are bribed and weaponised to push the agenda. Something that underlines the absolute importance of speaking out is this fact - tens of thousands of people saw that documentary and no outcome of the trial can change that. No amount of consequences can undo the past or remove the impact of speaking out from those who heard you. "FreeTommyRobinson" is trending on Twitter (X), but the full significance of this trial may not yet be sinking in. Journalism is one of the defining factors of a free democracy, and how we treat our independent media speaks volumes about our values as a country. 

Having said all this, nothing sticks with me more than the simple feeling of standing in Trafalgar Square with British flags (including English, Welsh, Irish, and county flags) as far as the eye can see. I've never considered myself to be particularly patriotic, but this sight represented to me the drawing of a line in our sand and not a minute too soon. Consider that for every person who was able to make it, 5 like-minded supporters were at work or at home. Maybe 10. It's reassuring, it's energising (as evidenced by my renewed inspiration to write) and it's significant. Let's keep it moving.