Cofounder of anti-Islamist EDL says rally is free of charge speech, as protesters assault police and antiracism campaigners.
Tens of 1000’s of individuals took to the streets of London for a march organised by far-right activist Tommy Robinson, as help for the anti-immigrant Reform UK occasion soars throughout the nation.
London’s Metropolitan Police estimated that Robinson’s “Unite the Kingdom” rally drew about 110,000 folks on Saturday, crowds marching from two instructions – Waterloo Bridge and Lambeth Bridge – and converging on Whitehall, subsequent to the UK Parliament.
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Al Jazeera witnessed folks waving an assortment of flags – Union Jacks, the pink and white St George’s Cross of England and the Israeli Star of David – chanting “[Keir] Starmer is a w*****” as they flocked to see well-known far-right audio system subsequent to the UK Prime Minister’s Downing Road residence, together with Robinson, Katie Hopkins, and Steve Bannon.
Robinson, whose actual identify is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon and is thought for his anti-immigrant and anti-Islam views, billed the march as an illustration free of charge speech, British heritage and tradition, pumping up the group with claims that migrants now had extra rights in courtroom than the “British public, the those that constructed this nation”.
The Met deployed greater than 1,600 officers to maintain aside Robinson’s rally and a counter “Stand As much as Racism” protest attended by about 5,000 folks, reporting on X that a variety of officers have been assaulted as they tried to cease the previous breaching cordons delineating a buffer space between the 2.
“We proceed to see important aggression directed at officers by Unite the Kingdom protesters,” mentioned the drive on X, which arrested 9 protesters, including that further officers supported by police horses had been deployed in “a number of areas”.
Stand As much as Racism counterprotest held
On the counterprotest, attended by left-wing lawmakers Zarah Sultana and Diane Abbott, the group held indicators saying “refugees welcome” and ”smash the far proper,” and shouted “get up, combat again”.
The “Stand As much as Racism” marketing campaign group posted on X that its protesters had additionally been attacked by Robinson’s followers. “Are these the ‘involved atypical folks’ we’ve heard a lot about? Or are they far proper thugs,” mentioned one publish.
Robinson’s rally comes on the tail finish of a extremely charged summer season within the UK that featured a number of protests staged exterior motels housing asylum seekers in England, following the arrest of an Ethiopian man who was later convicted of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old woman in a London suburb.
BREAKING: far proper thugs assault anti-fascists in Whitehall. Are these the “involved atypical folks” we’ve heard a lot about? Or are they far proper thugs. #StandUptoRacism pic.twitter.com/0rkMf5BxmM
— Stand Up To Racism (@AntiRacismDay) September 13, 2025
It additionally comes because the far-right, anti-immigrant Reform UK occasion establishes itself as a big political drive, with recent polls saying it will be the UK’s largest political occasion if a common election have been held now.
Folks on the march displayed placards with slogans like “ship them dwelling” and “cease the boats”, the latter a reference to asylum seekers making the perilous journey over the English Channel in inflatable boats.
One girl who had travelled from Scotland for the march instructed Al Jazeera that she was sick of seeing homeless British folks on the street whereas immigrants have been receiving shelter and that vacant buildings must be opened for each teams.
“Dangerous issues are going to occur if issues don’t change,” she mentioned.
Robinson based the nationalist and anti-Islamist English Defence League (EDL) and is likely one of the most influential far-right figures within the UK.
Whereas the group attending the “Unite the Kingdom” was massive, it fell far in need of one of many greatest pro-Palestinian marches, which drew an estimated 300,000 folks in November 2023.
