Protestors gathered at City Hall, Newham on 9 November to call for Sadiq Khan to give up his position as Mayor of London due to the ongoing grooming gangs scandal.
One of the organisers of the protest was Young Bob, 17, a conservative activist.
His post promoting the event on X said: “We demand the resignation of Sadiq Khan for his cover-up of the grooming gangs. It’s time to hold them accountable.”
The protest began at 1pm and lasted just over an hour.
Young Bob began a short speech by reciting John McCrae’s war poem In Flanders Fields.
Then he led the protestors in a minute of silence to mark Remembrance Sunday.
He referenced the cover-up of grooming gangs in Rotherham by the police and Labour MPs and councillors.
He said: “That sort of mentality by the Labour Party is continued by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.
“We must lock him up.”
About 30 people attended the protest.
Young Bob cited The Standard’s investigation into grooming gangs as evidence that this type of child sexual exploitation is happening in London.
He said: “Sadiq Khan is so deeply unpopular, it’s just the right don’t get together and actually find a candidate that’s electable.”
Victoria, 39, is a mother of three who became involved with the Pink Ladies protest movement this summer.
She said: “There’s more and more happening to women and children like ourselves and something’s got to happen, we’ve got to stand up otherwise where is it gonna end?”
She added: “I would stand up for any woman, any child in danger and that’s what it’s about.
“It’s about us all coming together, safety in numbers, and trying to make a change in this country for the safety of everyone on our streets.”
The protest ended with chants of ‘get Khan out’.
Then most of the participants travelled to Canary Wharf to protest against the Home Office’s policy of housing asylum seekers in the Britannia Hotel.
After a summer of protests outside the hotel, concerns still remain.
Mark Howard, 62, who served in the army for four years, said: “It’s wrong, they shouldn’t be here if they come illegally and getting free stuff.
“I’m a veteran and you’ve got all the veterans on the streets and the homeless, why can’t you help them out? Why can’t they put the veterans in there?”
He added: “We want him [Khan] out but we’re just normal family. We’re not the far right, we’re not the far left, we’re nothing.
“We’re just here because we don’t want them [asylum seekers] where there’s children and women because it’s dangerous.”
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: “Any individuals or grooming gangs exploiting children for sex are utterly abhorrent and Sadiq wants justice for every single victim of these horrific crimes. These children have not only suffered terrible abuse at the hands of the perpetrators but have been woefully let down by the authorities meant to protect them from harm.
“The Mayor has welcomed the Government’s national inquiry and it is right that this should leave no stone unturned when seeking justice for the victims of these horrendous crimes and ensure the vile perpetrators are brought to justice.
“Sadiq has led efforts to strengthen the protection of children from exploitation and harm in all its forms in London, including grooming gangs. Since taking office, he has ensured vital investment in specialist services and announced just this week a further £2.4m package of support for victims and survivors of child sexual exploitation.
“He has also driven forward long-overdue reforms in the way the Met protects children. This includes specifically commissioning HMICFRS to independently inspect the Met’s child protection arrangements in 2023, which has led to lasting improvements.
“The Mayor is clear that the Met must follow the evidence wherever it leads, and he will continue to support and hold the Met to account to ensure it does everything possible to tackle child sexual exploitation in London, including grooming gangs.”
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