Police and protesters scuffle as 110,000 join anti-migrant London protest

The Metropolitan Police said around 110,000 people joined the “Unite the Kingdom” rally, led by anti-immigration campaigner Tommy Robinson. Officers worked to keep them apart from a counter-demonstration by the “Stand Up to Racism” coalition, which drew roughly 5,000 participants.

Police admitted they were caught off guard by the scale, saying the gathering was “too large to fit into Whitehall,” the official route.

Officers reported being kicked, punched and pelted with bottles, flares and other missiles. In total, 26 officers were injured, four seriously, and 25 arrests were made, with police warning this was “just the beginning” of legal action.

“We are identifying those involved in the disorder and they can expect robust police action in the coming days and weeks,” Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said.

The rally capped a tense summer in Britain, where anti-immigrant protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers have flared. Saturday’s crowd mixed national flags with American and Israeli banners, and some wore red “MAGA” hats popularised by Donald Trump. Placards carried slogans such as “send them home,” and children were seen among the attendees.

Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon and who has multiple criminal convictions, declared:

“Today is the spark of a cultural revolution in Great Britain… a tidal wave of patriotism.”

Via video link, billionaire Elon Musk,  who has openly backed Robinson and other right-wing figures in Britain, told supporters the country needed a new government, claiming Britons were “afraid to speak freely.”

Not all on the right have embraced Robinson. Reform UK, the leading anti-immigrant party in recent polls, has sought to distance itself from him.

Supporter Sandra Mitchell told reporters: “We want our country back, we want free speech back on track. They need to stop illegal migration… We believe in Tommy.”

The counter-rally offered a very different message. Ben Hetchin, a teacher, said: “The idea of hate is dividing us. The more we welcome people, the stronger we are as a country.”

The Metropolitan Police deployed more than 1,600 officers, including 500 reinforcements from outside London. The force was also stretched by high-profile football fixtures and concerts on the same day.

Immigration has become the dominant political issue in Britain, overtaking economic concerns, with over 28,000 migrants arriving in small boats across the Channel this year.

Streets in parts of England have been covered with red-and-white flags, hailed by supporters as expressions of national pride but condemned by anti-racism groups as symbols of hostility to outsiders.

Reuters