Far-right activist Tommy Robinson led more than 110,000 supporters in the Unite the Kingdom rally through central London on Saturday, in what he claimed was the “largest demonstration in British history.”
The march, which began on Stamford Street, crossed Westminster Bridge and proceeded towards Whitehall under heavy police presence.
Clashes erupted between protesters and police officers at Tommy Robinson’s Unite the Kingdom rally in central London, as tensions escalated into confrontation.
Footage from the scene showed police drawing their batons after individuals appeared to lunge at officers during a stand-off. The clashes followed earlier confrontations near Whitehall, where Robinson’s supporters and Stand Up To Racism counter-protesters gathered metres apart, separated by police with riot shields.
Robinson’s message
Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, told followers: “Patriotism is the future, borders are the future. Britain has finally awoken.” In earlier posts, he declared “the revolution is on” and said London was “full of patriots.”
His live stream on X drew more than 400,000 viewers, with chants of “Tommy, Tommy,” “England,” and abuse directed at Labour leader Keir Starmer echoing from the crowds.
Figures joining the march
Robinson was joined at the head of the march by high-profile far-right figures including Katie Hopkins, actor Laurence Fox and former soldier Ant Middleton. Adult star Lana Wolf travelled from Scotland to attend, telling followers she considered herself a “modern feminist” and citing crime statistics, though experts later cautioned her claims were misleading.
Signs, flags and chants
Supporters waved Union Jacks, US and Israeli flags, and carried placards with slogans including “stop the boats,” “Charlie Kirk RIP,” and “enough is enough, save our children.” One sign read “Starmer is a paedo’s best friend.”
Chants included “Who’s street? Our street,” “England,” and tributes to US activist Charlie Kirk, who was killed in Utah earlier this week. Pro-Israel activists in the crowd chanted: “You can shove Palestine up your ar#e,” while Islamophobic chants of “Who the f*** is Allah” were also reported.
Counter-protest
At the same time, thousands attended the Stand Up To Racism counter-protest, which set off from Russell Square and also marched towards Whitehall. The Met Police estimated the counter-demonstration drew around 5,000 people.
Labour MPs Diane Abbott and Zarah Sultana addressed the gathering, with Abbott branding Robinson’s rally “racist.” She told supporters: “It is a dangerous lie to say that men of colour are a threat to women, and we need to squash it.”
Policing and atmosphere
Around 1,000 officers were deployed across central London to manage the rival demonstrations. The Met confirmed mobile CCTV vans were monitoring the crowds but said live facial recognition was not in use.
Despite concerns, police said there had been “no incidents of note” by the time marchers reached Westminster Bridge. Reporters described moments of levity, including two Robinson supporters accidentally joining the counter-protest before being redirected by police.