During a large-scale protest in central London, organized by far-right activist Tommy Robinson and drawing an estimated 150,000 participants, 26 police officers sustained injuries while carrying out crowd control duties. According to the Metropolitan Police, tensions escalated at the Unite the Kingdom rally when a section of demonstrators began throwing bottles and other objects, leaving four officers seriously injured.
The event also drew international attention as Elon Musk addressed the protesters remotely via videolink from Whitehall. Meanwhile, a counter-demonstration of about 5,000 people was staged nearby by the group Stand Up To Racism.
Law enforcement reported that 25 individuals were arrested on various charges in connection with what they termed “wholly unacceptable” acts of violence. To manage the situation, the Metropolitan Police deployed a significant force of 1,000 officers, supplemented by an additional 500 officers brought in from regional constabularies including Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, and Devon and Cornwall.
Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist emphasized that police officers acted “without fear or favour,” fully aware of the challenges. He noted that while many protesters exercised their legitimate right to demonstrate, others arrived with the deliberate intention of causing disorder.
Assistant Commissioner Twist reported that several officers sustained serious injuries, including broken teeth, concussion, a prolapsed disc, head trauma, and a suspected broken nose. He noted that the 25 arrests made so far represented only the beginning of efforts to hold offenders accountable, with the Metropolitan Police committed to identifying others involved in the disorder.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood strongly condemned the assaults on police officers, stressing that anyone engaging in criminal conduct would face the full force of the law.
By mid-afternoon, police lines were established along Whitehall to separate the two opposing demonstrations. Although the Unite the Kingdom rally began peacefully, the Metropolitan Police reported that violence erupted as officers attempted to keep the groups apart. The rally’s turnout was said to have exceeded organisers’ expectations, resulting in overcrowding that pushed demonstrators beyond the designated areas of Whitehall and Parliament Square.
Large groups of protesters disregarded police instructions and attempted to enter restricted zones, including areas occupied by the Stand Up To Racism counter-protest. According to the police, officers who intervened were assaulted with kicks and punches, prompting the deployment of riot units, mounted officers, and police dogs to restore order.
In addition, some individuals climbed fencing and scaffolding around Whitehall, actions that the police warned posed risks to both themselves and others in the area.
At one stage during the demonstration, a glass bottle was thrown and struck a police horse, causing both the animal and its rider to momentarily lose balance. Tensions escalated further when scuffles broke out, prompting officers to use batons in an effort to push back supporters of Tommy Robinson gathered around Whitehall and Trafalgar Square.
Robinson, whose legal name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, addressed attendees at what was described as a “freedom of speech festival.” In his speech, he accused politicians of merely repeating his arguments and alleged that UK courts had prioritized the rights of undocumented migrants over those of local residents.
His remarks came shortly after the Court of Appeal had overturned an injunction that had prevented asylum seekers from being accommodated at The Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex.
Making a surprise appearance via videolink, Musk spoke about “massive uncontrolled migration” and called for a “change of government” in the UK.
“Something’s got to be done,” Musk said, as he was interviewed by Robinson.
“There’s got to be a dissolution of Parliament and a new vote held.”
TV presenter Katie Hopkins also spoke on stage after earlier appearing alongside Robinson, former actor Laurence Fox and TV personality Ant Middleton at the front of the march near Waterloo station.
At the nearby Stand Up To Racism demonstration, independent MP Diane Abbott addressed the crowd, emphasizing that racism, violence, and fascism were not new challenges, but ones that society had repeatedly overcome.
The counter-protest drew participants from across the country. Two attendees from South Wales, Rhiannon and Sharon, told the BBC they felt it was “the right thing to do.” Others expressed concern about the spread of hateful narratives from Robinson’s supporters, with one participant stating they wanted to affirm that “London is not a fascist city.”
Robinson concluded his stage events shortly after 6:30 pm, pledging to organize further gatherings in the future. The 42-year-old had earlier in the year been released from prison, where he had been serving a sentence imposed in October for breaching a court order by repeating false claims about a Syrian refugee who had previously won a libel case against him.
English