Kmflett's Blog

Blackfriars Bridge 10th April 1848

On 10th April 1848 the Chartists held a rally for the vote on Kennington Common. They had mostly marched from north of the river. The plan was to take a huge petition for the vote to Parliament. However once the Chartists had passed south the police and soldiers blocked them from returning across Blackfirars Bridge.

A leader of left Chartism, George Julian Harney who worked with Marx and Engels, made his position on this clear at a Chartist delegate meeting on 11th April.:

‘He would never again consent to leave London to hold a meeting’

Northern Star 15th April 1848

In recent decades the north and south of the Thames distinction for political rallies has meant less. The 1990 poll tax demonstration which assembled on Kennington Common and marched to Trafalgar Square was partly blocked by police but not until it had reached Whitehall.

The police could perhaps have attempted to block the march from returning over the Thames but in the age of tubes, buses, trains and bicycles might have struggled to do so successfully.

On 15^th March 2026 however the Home Secretary on police advice banned the annual A Quds march. While having its origins in supporting the current Iranian Government its focus is mainly on Palestine. We shall see if the ban leads to yet more restrictions on Palestine marches.

The police determined that there could be an Al Quds rally on Albert Embankment between Vauxhall and Lambeth bridges while a counter protest could take place on Millbank on the north side of the Thames.

The day seems to have passed off peacefully. However based on the Met’s own pictures on social media the Al Quds rally was as expected of a decent size while the counter protest was much smaller. In reality the Al Quds march would probably have passed off without significant issues based on the balance of forces.

Maybe police intelligence was wrong or maybe there was as above an ulterior motive.

Harney was right anyway. Starting protests which are planned to end in central London south of the Thames is never a good plan.