London’s streets turned into a stage for Britain’s anxieties on Saturday, as far-right activist Tommy Robinson drew a crowd count in six figures for the anti immigrant "Unite the Kingdom" rally. Tens of thousands of people marched, leading to sporadic clashes with police.
The marchers came to London by train and coach for what was called a "festival of free speech," but speeches during the event spread racist conspiracy theories and anti-Muslim comments across Whitehall, The Guardian reported.
Police said some officers were punched, kicked, and hit by bottles thrown from the edges of the "Unite the Kingdom" rally. More than 1,000 officers were deployed, with reinforcements in helmets and riot shields sent in when needed, as per a report by news agency Associated Press.
According to police, the crowd count was estimated at 1,10,000 to 1,50,000 people, much larger than expected. However, it was still smaller than the pro-Palestinian march in November 2023 that drew a crowd count of about 300,000 people.
A rival protest, the "March Against Fascism" organized by Stand Up To Racism, attracted a crowd count of around 5,000 participants.
Anti-migrant focus
Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, founded the English Defense League and is one of the most prominent far-right figures in Britain.
The march was presented as a defense of free speech. However, much of the messaging from speakers, including far-right politicians from Europe, centered on migration.
"We are both subject to the same process of the great replacement of our European people by peoples coming from the south and of Muslim culture, you and we are being colonized by our former colonies," French politician Eric Zemmour said.
Elon Musk, Tesla CEO and owner of X, joined by video and criticized the UK government. "There’s something beautiful about being British and what I see happening here is a destruction of Britain, initially a slow erosion, but rapidly increasing erosion of Britain with massive uncontrolled migration," he said.
Robinson told the crowd that migrants had more rights in court than the "British public, the people that built this nation."
The rallies come amid political debate in the UK over migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats without authorization. This summer saw several anti-migrant protests outside hotels housing asylum-seekers, following the conviction of an Ethiopian man for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in London. Some of these protests turned violent and led to arrests.
Flags and slogans
At the "Unite the Kingdom" march, participants carried St George’s flags and the union jack and chanted "we want our country back."
Flags have become more common across the UK in recent months, with some viewing them as national pride and others as a sign of growing nationalism.
Protesters held placards saying "stop the boats," "send them home," and "enough is enough, save our children."
Counter-protesters carried signs that read "refugees welcome" and "smash the far right," while chanting "stand up, fight back."
Robinson’s supporters also shouted crude remarks about UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and expressed support for slain US conservative activist Charlie Kirk.