COVID-19 anti-lockdown protests in the United Kingdom

During the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, numerous protests have taken place over the government's response.

Anti-lockdown protests took place in opposition to restrictions, starting in April 2020 against the first national lockdown, and continuing during subsequent lockdowns and other regional restriction systems. These overlapped with anti-vaccination protests, which continued after the start of the UK's vaccination programme in December 2020. Several media outlets blamed online COVID-19 misinformation, denialism and conspiracy theories as driving factors in the protest movement. ''The Economist'' described the protests as "countercultural" and attracting people from a variety of demographics and political leanings. Hundreds of protesters have been arrested for violating lockdown restrictions, social distancing measures and other public health laws.

Unrelated protests were held by or in support of National Health Service staff involved in the frontline health response to demand for pay rises and improved working conditions.

Background

The UK's first case of COVID-19 was confirmed on 31 January 2020. As the number of cases and deaths increased in the subsequent few months, the government enacted emergency powers on 19 March to introduce public health measures in an effort to control the spread of the virus. On 23 March, with the death toll increasing and UK's hospital capacity at risk of being reached, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the first of three nationwide lockdowns or stay-at-home orders in response to rising daily cases, hospitalisations and deaths. After the first nationwide lockdown ended, the government introduced localised tier regulations in England in areas with higher rates of COVID-19 infection and mandated face masks in certain settings across the country. A second national lockdown began in November 2020, ending in early December and being replaced with tiered regulations. Due to rapidly increasing cases, a third national lockdown began in January 2021, and began to be eased in March 2021. Additional restrictions across the UK include social distancing measures and face masks being mandatory in certain settings.

With health being devolved between the nations of the United Kingdom, authorities in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have also introduced localised restrictions, including lockdowns, at different times throughout the pandemic.

2020

April 2020

On 20 April, two anti-lockdown protesters had a stand-off with police on the roof of Shrewsbury College; they were then arrested.
On both 25 April and 1 May, Piers Corbyn was present at an anti-lockdown protests in Glastonbury. On 25 April, Corbyn made a speech to the 30 to 100 other protesters, where he denied the pandemic was occurring, and criticised public health measures. A police spokesperson said they encouraged protesters to adhere to social distancing guidance, and that the protest ended within an hour.

May 2020

A group of around 20 people, which included some young children, held a peaceful protest and defied social distancing rules outside New Scotland Yard on 2 May. Another protest was held by a group of between 40 and 50 people on Lambeth Walk, near Westminster Bridge, on 9 May. A number of people were arrested and fixed penalty notices were issued by the police.

Protests against the United Kingdom's COVID-19 lockdown, to be held across the country in the weekend of 16 May, in cities such as Manchester, Bristol, Leicester and Southampton, were advertised online, produced by the UK Freedom Movement, an online group. On 15 May, former leader of the far-right group Britain First Jayda Fransen, but Fransen has denied any involvement. On Saturday, 16 May, 50 anti-lockdown and anti-vax protesters defied social-distancing rules at Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park, including Piers Corbyn. There were further smaller protests on the same day in Manchester, Glasgow, Belfast and other cities across the country.

A small anti-lockdown protest took place along Hove seafront on 18 May. A protest the next day was held at Hampstead Heath, who demanded the reopening of its ponds as council had refused to reopen them. This was followed by another protest on 23 May that was held on Clapham Common, with around 20 protesters calling for the lockdown to come to end and for children to only return to school if there is "no social distancing". Another protest was held at Hyde Park on 30 May.

August 2020

On 8 August 2020, more than 30 protests across the UK took place in support of National Health Service staff in response to the government not extending a planned pay rise to nurses.

Thousands gathered in London's Trafalgar Square on 29 August as a part of the Unite for Freedom movement to protest against lockdown restrictions and the possibility of a mandatory vaccine. Prominent speakers included the conspiracy theorists Kate Shemirani, Piers Corbyn and David Icke. A flyer for the event focused on the extension of what Unite for Freedom deem a "draconian extension of controls" over the population.

September 2020

On 12 September, a group of anti-lockdown protesters gathered in Birmingham following the announcement the previous day that Birmingham, and the nearby boroughs of Solihull and Sandwell would be subject to increased restrictions due to a rise in cases in the area.

On the same day, NHS nurses protested in Trafalgar Square to demand a pay rise during the ongoing pandemic response.

On 26 September, a protest was held at Trafalgar Square, London. Prominent speakers were Corbyn, Icke, Gareth Icke (David Icke's son) and others. One speaker, Daz Nez, sang a song with themes about the New World Order, anti-vaccines, anti-corporation, anti-government, anti-monarchy and anti-lockdown. The protest resulted in three protesters and nine police officers being injured. Sixteen people were arrested.

October 2020

On 17 October, an anti-lockdown protest took place at Leicester Square. A similar protest happened in Clayton Square, Liverpool city centre, the following day.

On 24 October, an anti-lockdown protest was held by Save Our Rights UK using the slogan "Stop The New Normal" in London. After marching from Hyde Park to Westminster, the protest ended in Trafalgar Square. Key speakers were Louise Creffield and Piers Corbyn. Shortly before 4 pm, the police decided to break up the protest because the protesters "failed to comply with the terms of their risk assessment, government guidelines and were not maintaining social distancing". The police officer in charge "determined their protest is no longer exempt from the regulations and is an illegal gathering". The police arrested at least 18 people during the protest.

November 2020

Richard Tice, chairman of the Brexit Party, and a few dozen others led a small protest at an official wreath-laying ceremony at the Royal Artillery Memorial on Hyde Park Corner on Remembrance Sunday in defiance of regulations.

On 28 November anti-lockdown demonstrators marched through London chanting "freedom", in a day of protests that resulted in more than 60 arrests. The protesters were joined by groups opposing the COVID-19 vaccine.

2021

January 2021

On 9 January, police arrested 12 people at a protest in Clapham Common. On the same day there were arrests of in Bournemouth linked with the anti-lockdown movement.

February 2021

Facebook removed videos published by a “coronavirus denier” as it was ruled that they posed a danger of “imminent physical harm”. The video appeared to show empty hospital corridors suggesting that the covid pandemic was not affecting hospitals as much as the government had been suggesting. The hospitals show in the video were the Queen Alexandra Hospital and St Richard's Hospital. The hospitals responded to stress that "pictures of empty corridors do not mean our wards and intensive care units are empty."

March 2021

On 20 March, up to 30,000 people gathered in central London, walking from Hyde Park to Westminster. Although the protest was largely in relation to the government's stance on peaceful protests during lockdown, many were seen carrying anti-lockdown placards with slogans such as "Stop Destroying Our Kids’ Lives" and chanted for restrictions to be lifted. A number of arrests were made, predominantly in relation to breaches of COVID-19 regulations.

On 27 March, some 400 people gathered in Centenary Square, Bradford, to protest against COVID restrictions and vaccinations. 9 Police officers were injured. Although mostly peaceful, some attempted to storm Jacob's Well pub which was being used as a vaccination centre.

April 2021

Some thousands of protesters marched through central London on 24 April, with chants including "freedom" and "take off your mask". Reuters reported media estimates of an attendance of about 10,000, but the Metropolitan Police did not confirm a figure. In disturbances after the march, eight police officers were injured and five people were arrested. Candidates in the 2021 London mayoral election Piers Corbyn and Laurence Fox attended the march.

May 2021

On the 15th of May, thousands of anti-lockdown protesters marched from St James's Park to the BBC
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