Monthy Briefing: Patriotic Alternative hold fascist unity rally in Nuneaton

In brief

• Hundreds of thousands of anti-racists, anti-fascists and trade unionists marched in London last weekend
• Patriotic Alternative Held a white nationalist unity rally in Nuneaton in support of mass deportations
• Police have granted Steven Yaxley-Lennon's Unite the Kingdom the use Trafalgar Square, Whitehall and Parliament Square to rally on 16 May, denying space to the Palestine movement to march on the same day, in comemoration of Nakba day
• UKIP held a chaotic demonstration in Liverpool in which they were heavily outnumbered by anti-fascists
• Fascist influencer Steve Laws has claimed to have close ties with senior figures in Restore Britain

Patriotic Alternative

As hundreds of thousands of anti-racists, anti-fascists and trade unionists marched in London, Britain’s largest fascist group Patriotic Alternative (PA) held a pre-announced demonstration in Nuneaton. Their protest, billed as a white nationalist unity demonstration and held jointly with Steve Law’s Remigration Now outfit, attracted around two hundred people. It was held in response to the conviction of Ahmad Mulakhil, an asylum seeker who was sentenced to sixteen years in prison for abducting and raping a 12 year old girl. The rally was addressed by PA leader Mark Collett, deputy leader Laura Melia, Sam Melia, Laws, and fascist influencer Hugh Anthony, among others. The protest was also attended by white nationalist youth group White Vanguard. 

Rhetoric at the event was noticeably strong. Harry Jackson, a fascist “auditor” and PA member, declared that Britain is “controlled by a secretive, globalist banking elite” and called for a “strong patriotic nationalist government with complete authority”. Laws called for the forced deportation of all non-white people from the UK. Collett’s speech was punctuated by chants of “send them back” and “white lives matter.” The demonstration follows a similar event in nearby Warwick and may indicate a shift in tactics for PA, which has rarely organised public pre-announced rallies, which risk opposition from anti-fascists. 

Leading PA member Sam Melia, whose prison licence restrictions ended this month, has said that prison was the “single most radicalising experience of my life” and has recommitted to political activity with PA with “renewed zeal.” Melia, the husband of PA deputy leader Laura Melia, was sentenced to two years in prison on race hate offences, of which he served ten months. His license restrictions prohibited him from joining far-right groups and contacting PA leader Mark Collett. In a message posted on his wife’s Telegram channel, Melia claimed that, ‘My time away hasn’t dimmed my spirit in the least; quite the contrary. “Interrogated by both National Security Division’s probation service, as well as Counter-Terrorism’s Desistance and Disengagement Programme, the weakness of their arguments was breathtaking. Frequently breaking down to, “yeah, all that’s true, but why do you care?”’. Melia has published a book, distributed via his wife’s “Grandma Towler’s” tea company, about his time in prison. Melia spoke at PA’s demonstration in Nuneaton and has resumed his former role as PA’s Yorkshire regional organiser.

PA have been quick to distance themselves from Alina Burns, an eighteen year old neo-Nazi who pleaded guilty to attempted murder after swinging an axe at Mohammed Mahmoodi outside a barber shop in Bristol on 2 August last year. In the lead up to the attempted murder. Burns had watched a number of graphic videos and had searched for the legal age to buy an axe. In an email to an associate she had written, “Kill all Jews and Muslims in Britain, please” and had made notes on Nazi Germany, Adolf Hitler and First and Second World War German weaponry. In court, the prosecution alleged that Burns had been a member of PA.  Following media reports, PA released a statement claiming that Burns, “has never been a member of the organisation, nor did she attend any Patriotic Alternative events.”

PA claims to have held several social events this month in locations including York, near Salisbury, Welshpool, Guildford and Great Malvern. PA activists also took to the streets of Bristol and Leeds, where they posed for photographs handing out care packages to white homeless people. At at least one of these, in Guildford, a ‘Stop the Boats’ banner was displayed. 

Tommy Robinson

Steven Yaxley-Lennon has continued an extended tour of the United States. After a tour of Washington DC, during which he interviewed Trump associate and QAnon booster Michel Flynn and Islamophobic congressman Randy Fine, Yaxley-Lennon appeared at a stop of the Christian nationalist “Stay Awake America” tour, alongside former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio and founder of the far-right Oath Keepers. Stewart Rhodes. Both men were convicted of seditious conspiracy following the riots at the Capitol on 6 January 2021, before receiving pardons from Trump at the beginning of his second term. Yaxley-Lennon has conducted interviews with a host of conservative and far-right influencers including Russell Brand, Tim Pool and Steven Crowder. He is set to headline a ticketed event with far-right Canadian news site Rebel News on 11 April. 

Yaxley-Lennon has endorsed a call for the assasination of UK prime minister, Keir Starmer. On 1 March, following the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, tech billionaire Elon Musk tweeted, “Another one bites the dust.” In a reply, reposted by Yaxley-Lennon, far-right influencer Valentina Gomez tweeted, “@Kier_Starmer is next”. Both Musk and Gomez appeared at a recent demonstration hosted by Yaxley-Lennon. 

The shadow Justice Minister Nick Timothy has come under further pressure after Yaxley-Lennon praised his smear of a public Eid event as an “act of domination and division.” Yaxley-Lennon posted a video in which he said of Timothy’s remark, “fair play and well done to him,” whilst lauding his supporters for “shifting the Overton window.” On 18 March during Prime Minister's Questions, Starmer evaded questions on his appointment of  Peter Mandelson as Ambassador to the United States by pivoting to Yaxley-Lennon’s support for Timothy’s comments.

Organisers of the annual Nakba day demonstration, which commemorates the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, have condemned the Met’s refusal to allow their preferred route march in favour of the Yaxley-Lennon’s Unite the Kingdom rally, both organised for 16 May. In a statement, the coalition said that it had informed police of its intention to march in December 2025 and that Unite the Kingdom had been, “allocated London’s political centre, the whole of Whitehall, Parliament Square and Trafalgar Square.” A decision to allocate both Parliament Square and Trafalgar Square to one group is unusual, especially as the Palestine coalition is made up of large mainstream organisations. It is possible that the decision was influenced by the disorder at the previous Unite the Kingdom rally in September 2025 when far-right demonstrators broke out of their assigned area and trapped an anti-fascist counter protest in Whitehall. Nakba day demonstration organisers have vowed to march in spite of the restrictions. 

Bristol

On 7 March, Bristol Patriots held a “march for unity” through Bristol city centre. The march called for “unity” amongst faiths, but did not include Islam on the graphic advertising the march. The march was blocked by anti-fascists and diverted by police. In attendance was self proclaimed Neo-Nazi Ryan Ferguson. On the march, Ferguson directed anti-Semitic abuse at Jewish counter-protestors. The march was also attended by Jay Barlow of Ayran Front, who had previously backed out of the march because it was ostensibly inclusive of people of colour and Jewish people. Also present was Hugh Anthony, who was kicked out of his parent’s house for his extreme right wing views, and Thomas Moffit (aka “Young Bob”) who was punched in the face and chased by counter-protestors.  A 26 year-old man was arrested by Avon and Somerset Police for a racially aggravated public order offence that occurred on the demonstration. 

Following the march, Bristol Patriots released a statement on Facebook apologising for the presence of neo-Nazi activists. The group has subsequently split, with a new group, Bristol Rises, consisting of many of the same personnel, putting up flags at Southmead Hospital and undertaking a “big reveal” which consisted of a flag display over a motorway flyover in Patchway, South Gloucestershire. Members of Bristol Rises include Rob Gould and Ben Pinker. Another group, Great British Patriots, has also emerged following the split. This group is run by Clive Herbert and its activity has been limited to Tiktok posts that have accused Bristol Rises of “working with antifa".

Homeland

The Homeland Party’s activity was again minimal in March, and focused largely in Scotland. On 2 March the party released its “Remigration” plan. Homeland’s Scotland regional organiser Simon Crane gave a speech filmed beside a bench to memorialize Kriss Donald, who was murdered by a gang of men in 2004. Homeland activists also attended the “Unite the Clans” demonstration in Holyrood, Edinburgh. On 24 March, West Midlands Homeland activist Matt Alexander attended a vigil for Rhiannon Whyte, a hotel worker who was murdered by Deng Chol Mayek in October 2024. Mayek was sentenced to life in prison in January this year. Also in the West Midlands, Homeland activists attended the sentencing of Ahmed Mulakhil and posed outside Warwickshire crown court with a banner. Homeland activists stood alongside activists from PA who held a banner with a similar message, despite the acrimonious split between the two groups in 2023.

UKIP

On 21 March, Nick Tenconi’s UK Independence Party (UKIP) held a “Walk with Jesus” rally in Liverpool with their usual gaggle of fascist-adjacent live-streamers. Once again, they were outnumbered by anti-fascists and prevented from marching along their planned route. Fewer than 100 UKIP supporters were opposed by around 1000 anti-fascists. UKIP had announced a meeting place outside the Roman Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral, but the dean stated that the cathedral hadn’t given their permission and a group of church leaders from across the city signed a joint statement distancing themselves from UKIP’s protest. UKIP have announced another procession for 18 April, assembling outside Westminster Cathedral.

UKIP’s lone local councillor has quit the party. Amelia Randall, Kent County Council member for Birchington and Rural division in Thanet, was elected as Reform UK candidate in May 2025 before defecting to UKIP in September. She has now defected to her own newly-formed “Better Way Of” party.

Elsewhere

Leaks of internal messages from Steve Law’s Remigration Now has exposed ties between Laws and senior figures in Restore Britain, a party led by far right MP Rupert Lowe. In Laws, a proud white nationalist who advocates for the forced removal of all non-white people in the UK, has called on his followers to support Restore, posting on 16 February, “It’s not enough to just join Restore. You need to get and campaign… Restore has given us the vehicle. It’s on all of us to secure the victory.” In a private chat, first revealed be anti-extremist organisation Hope not Hate, Laws claimed that Restore leadership are “very tuned in to our circles” and claimed to be in contact with Maria Bowtell, Restore’s Head of Local Government. He later commented, “His team around him [Lowes] are literally our guys. I’ve met them all. I speak to some daily. I’m in because of them.” In his speech in Nuneaton, Laws laid out his strategy more explicitly, linking the electoral with the street, declaring that, “it’s all well and good joining a political party… that’s all great. But without the pressure of nationalists on the street they’re never going to take us seriously.”

Britain First (BF) had a relatively quiet month, putting up flags in Dartford, Kent and holding a small protest outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Orpington, on the outskirts of South East London. BF will hold a St George’s Day rally and march in Manchester on Saturday 18 April. Their February march in Manchester attracted 700-800 supporters but was disrupted by larger numbers of counter-protestors.

An investigation by The Guardian revealed that Reform UK leader Nigel Farage had recorded videos on Cameo supporting a convicted far-right rioter, endorsing a Canadian neo-Nazi event and repeating or referencing far-right slogans. Since joining the platform, on which customers can pay for personalised video messages from celebrities and personalities, Farage has recorded thousands of clips and earned more than £370,000. He appears to have now paused his activity on the site but has described the investigation as a “hit job”.

The National Rebirth Party (NRP), led by former PA member Alek Yerbury, attempted to hold a conference in Coventry but were ejected from the venue shortly after the event began. Around 50 supporters had assembled at the Albany Theatre but the booking was cancelled once the venue was informed of the nature of the booking. As well as the NRP regulars, new faces at the abortive meeting included Harrison Leworthy, until recently a member of White Vanguard, and Homeland’s South West organiser Mike Lynton.

Newly-elected Green Party MP Hannah Spencer was confronted and harassed in Manchester by a group of right-wing activists, including Chris Messenger (aka “English Ned”) and anti-trans activist Steve James. Spencer had been speaking at the launch of Greater Manchester’s Together Alliance in Piccadilly Gardens. After her speech, the group shouted abuse and attempted to block her path.

An anti-migrant protest in Ramsgate, promoted by the far-right women’s group, “Pink Ladies” and Faversham based Harry Hilden, and planned for 7 March, failed to materialise. Kent Anti Racist Network (KARN) held a counter-protest but reported that “the Pink Ladies were a no-show” and “a handful of tired old local fash made a brief appearance”.

Two men have admitted violent disorder outside the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, on 17 July 2025. Shaun Thompson and Luke Fleming were part of a protest against the housing of migrants at the hotel that numbered between 400 and 500 people. The pair have been released on bail ahead of sentencing. Also accused of violent disorder are Phillip Curson and Lee Gower; at the time of writing, this case is ongoing.

Three men have been arrested in connection with an arson attack at a mosque in East Sussex. Police had previously charged two men with arson with intent to endanger life.

International

France’s local elections produce mixed results for Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN). They held Perpignan and took power in smaller southern towns including Carcassonne, Menton and Cagnes-sur-Mer. RN ally Éric Ciotti was voted mayor of Nice, France’s fifth biggest city. However, the RN failed to win in Marseille or several other high-profile targets including Toulon and Nîmes.

Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, leader of a right-wing governing coalition, lost a referendum on constitutional reform widely seen as a test of her leadership. The proposed changes were presented as a means to increase judicial independence and efficiency but described by the “No” campaign as an attempt to subordinate prosecutors seen by the right as excessively political to the executive.

A group of left-wing activists who attended an anti-ICE noise demo in Texas have been found guilty of supporting terrorism, with some convicted of a range of other offences. Prosecutors alleged that the defendants were part of an antifa “cell”, pointing to the use of counter-surveillance measures such as using encrypted messaging app Signal and dressing in black. Jurors were shown left-wing zines, reading lists and stickers seized from the defendants. Pam Bondi, the attorney general, celebrated the ruling, claiming that “today’s verdict on terrorism charges will not be the last as the Trump administration systematically dismantles antifa and finally halts their violence on America’s streets.” The Support the Prarieland Defendants group has been set up in response to the trial.