London saw three separate marches over the weekend, each with a different focus. The largest of these was an annual event organised by the United Families and Friends Campaign, which took place in Trafalgar Square and was intended to remember those who have died in police custody. Hundreds attended the event, including the family of Chris Kaba. The family handed a handwritten note addressed to the prime minister to Downing Street during the event.
In addition to the event in Trafalgar Square, there were two other marches held in the city. One of these was in support of Tommy Robinson and sought to support those jailed over the UK riots. Thousands attended, and a counter-protest was also held. Meanwhile, there was also a separate “Unite the Kingdom” demonstration in Westminster, although Robinson, whose real name is Steven Yaxley-Lennon, was unable to attend as he had been remanded in custody by police on Friday.
In Trafalgar Square, family members of those killed in police custody spoke to the crowd and said that they were “indefinitely traumatised and impacted on their wellbeing by the hands of the state”. The event came after Metropolitan Police firearms officer Martin Blake was found not guilty of murder after he shot Chris Kaba during a police stop in 2022. Following the conclusion of the murder trial, a judge lifted reporting restrictions, and it was revealed that Kaba was part of a London gang called the 67 and was connected to two previous shootings.
During the marches, which were widely covered by the media, some people held signs reading “No justice, no peace” and “No more deaths in custody”. The various protests passed off peacefully, although there were a small number of arrests on suspicion of various offences
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