Clashes broke out in central London after one of the largest right-wing demonstrations ever seen in Britain, gathered more than 100,000 people. In the massive protest 25 arrests were made and also 26 officers got injured, as they tried to keep rival groups apart.
The protest, called the “Unite the Kingdom” rally, was organised by activist Tommy Robinson. Police estimated that between 110,000 and 150,000 people attended the movement, far more than organisers had expected. Demonstrators marched across Westminster Bridge before gathering near Downing Street for speeches by far-right figures from Europe and North America.
Among the speakers was French politician Eric Zemmour, German MP Petr Bystron from the Alternative for Germany party, and billionaire Elon Musk, who appeared via video link. Musk told the crowd that “violence is coming to you” and described the political left as “the party of murder.” Zemmour repeated the “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory, which falsely claims that white Europeans are being deliberately replaced by non-white immigrants.
Police said violence began when some protesters tried to push into restricted areas near counter-demonstrations. About 5,000 people had joined a separate anti-racism march, organised by Stand Up to Racism, roughly a mile away. Around 1,000 officers were deployed to prevent the two groups from clashing directly.
Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said while many attended peacefully but others came by “intent on violence.” He said officers faced physical and verbal abuse, and some protesters attempted to break through police cordons. Injuries to officers included broken teeth, a suspected broken nose, concussion, and a prolapsed disc.
Interior Minister Shabana Mahmood condemned the violence, saying those who attacked police would “face the full force of the law.”
Anti-racism group Hope Not Hate said the rally included “a number of well-known far-right extremists” and described it as the largest far-right demonstration it had ever monitored.
Experts also said the protest showed different far-right groups uniting in London. Georgios Samaras, a public policy professor at King’s College London noted that the event brought together multiple factions as well as new supporters.
The rally took place amid rising tensions over immigration in the UK. Last year also anti-immigration riots were seen in several towns and cities, some of which Robinson was accused of fuelling online.
