More than one lakh people marched through central London in one of the UK’s largest right-wing demonstrations in recent memory, clashing with police as they carried English and British flags.
The Metropolitan Police said the “Unite the Kingdom” rally, led by anti-immigration activist Tommy Robinson, drew around 110,000 participants, Reuters reported. Officers kept them apart from a counter-protest organised by Stand Up to Racism, which attracted about 5,000 people.
Police admitted they were surprised by the turnout, describing the march as “too big to fit into Whitehall,” the official route lined with government buildings. Attempts to stop protesters straying from the path led to violent confrontations, with officers facing kicks, punches, and objects, including bottles and flares.
Twenty-six officers were injured, four seriously, while police made 25 arrests—warning this was “just the start.” Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said more offenders would be identified and face “robust action.”
The rally followed months of anti-migrant protests, including outside hotels housing asylum seekers. Demonstrators waved Union Jacks, the St George’s Cross, and even American and Israeli flags, while some wore Donald Trump’s red “Make America Great Again” hats. Placards with slogans such as “send them home” were also on display, with children among the crowds.
Addressing supporters, Robinson declared the rally “the spark of a cultural revolution in Great Britain,” hailing it as a “tidal wave of patriotism.” US billionaire Elon Musk also addressed the crowd via video link, urging political change in Britain and claiming people were too afraid to exercise free speech, the news agency reported.
Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon and who has multiple criminal convictions, calls himself a journalist exposing state abuses. Reform UK, Britain’s largest anti-immigration party, currently leading in polls, has kept its distance from him.
While supporters insisted they wanted to “take the country back” and end illegal migration, counter-protesters like teacher Ben Hetchin argued that embracing diversity makes Britain stronger.
More than 1,600 police, including 500 drafted from other forces, were deployed across London to manage the marches alongside major football matches and concerts. Immigration has increasingly dominated British politics, overtaking economic concerns, as more than 28,000 migrants have crossed the Channel in small boats so far this year.
