Large Far-Right Protest in London Marked By Scuffles, Arrests, and Counterprotests 

One of the largest far-right demonstrations in the United Kingdom in decades descended into violent clashes in London over the weekend, leaving 26 police officers injured and prompting warnings from analysts and officials that the unrest reflected a surge of nationalist anger reshaping the country’s political landscape, the BBC reported. 

The “Unite the Kingdom” rally, led by activist Tommy Robinson, drew an estimated 110,000 to 150,000 people to central London on Saturday, far exceeding expectations.  

Police deployed 1,600 officers, including reinforcements from other forces, to separate Robinson’s supporters from about 5,000 counter-demonstrators at a nearby Stand Up to Racism event. Officers reported being attacked, also with bottles and flares, with four sustaining serious injuries.  

The Metropolitan Police arrested 24 demonstrators and said there would be more in the coming days. 

On Sunday, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer condemned the violence, saying the UK would “never surrender” to far-right extremism. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood warned that “anyone taking part in criminal activity will face the full force of the law.”  

Liberal Democrat party leader Ed Davey accused Robinson and his allies of spreading hate and criticized billionaire Elon Musk, who addressed the rally via a video link, for “dangerous and irresponsible rhetoric,” Al Jazeera added. 

Robinson – whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – told crowds that migrants had been given more rights in court than “the people that built this nation.” He framed the protest as the start of a “cultural revolution.” 

Musk echoed Robinson’s themes, warning against “massive uncontrolled migration” and calling for a change of government in the UK. 

The rally also included tributes to US conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot in Utah last week, NBC News noted. 

Observers said the size of the far-right turnout was unprecedented in modern-day England: Joe Mulhall of the group, Hope Not Hate, called it “probably the largest far-right demonstration ever in Britain.”  

Saturday’s unrest follows a series of anti-immigrant demonstrations outside hotels housing asylum seekers in England during the summer: These were sparked by the arrest of an Ethiopian man who was later convicted of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in a London suburb. 

The anger over immigration is translating into a surge of support for the far-right, anti-immigration party, Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage: Recent polls put the anti-immigration party at the top nationally.