london Far-Right Rally Draws Over 100,000, Clashes Erupt with Counterprotesters
LONDON – A large-scale demonstration organized by far-right groups drew over 100,000 participants too London on Saturday, resulting in clashes with counterprotesters and a police intervention to maintain order.The “Unite the Kingdom” march, featuring prominent figure Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (also known as Tommy Robinson), saw demonstrators express concerns over immigration and national identity.
Robinson, addressing the crowd in a hoarse voice, stated, “ThereS somthing 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 further claimed that migrants now have more rights in court than “the British public, the people that built this nation.”
The march took place amidst ongoing debate in the U.K.regarding migrants crossing the english Channel in small boats. Participants carried the St. George’s flag of England and the Union Jack, chanting slogans such as “we want our country back,” “stop the boats,” “send them home,” and “enough is enough, save our children.”
A counterprotest emerged,with participants holding signs reading “refugees welcome” and “smash the far right,” and shouting “stand up,fight back.”
Toward the late afternoon, tensions escalated as “Unite the Kingdom” supporters threw objects at the counterprotesters and attempted to breach barriers separating the groups. Police were forced to use force to prevent a breach of crowd-control fencing. One individual was escorted by police from the Robinson supporters’ group with blood pouring down his face, and was heckled by counterprotesters; the circumstances surrounding his injury were not immediately clear.
The demonstration stretched approximately three-quarters of a mile, from Big Ben across the River thames and beyond Waterloo train station. While considerable, the crowd size was smaller than the estimated 300,000 people who participated in a pro-Palestinian rally in November 2023.
the rally also included tributes to slain U.S.conservative activist Charlie Kirk, with a moment of silence and a bagpiper playing “Amazing Grace.” One demonstrator held a sign stating, “Freedom of speech is dead. RIP Charlie Kirk.”
robinson had previously attempted to hold a “Unite the Kingdom” rally in October 2023,but was unable to attend due to a jail sentence for contempt of court,stemming from violating a 2021 High Court order preventing him from repeating libelous allegations against a Syrian refugee. He has previously served jail time for assault and mortgage fraud.
The protests follow a summer marked by anti-migrant demonstrations outside hotels housing asylum-seekers, sparked by the arrest of an Ethiopian man later convicted of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in London. Some of those protests turned violent and resulted in arrests.
