Over 100,000 attend London rally led by far-right activist Tommy Robinson

Cofounder of anti-Islam EDL says rally is for escaped speech, arsenic protesters onslaught constabulary and antiracism campaigners.

Tens of thousands of radical took to the streets of London for a march organised by far-right activistic Tommy Robinson, arsenic enactment for the anti-immigrant Reform UK enactment soars crossed the country.

London’s Metropolitan Police estimated that Robinson’s “Unite the Kingdom” rally drew astir 110,000 radical connected Saturday, crowds marching from 2 directions – Waterloo Bridge and Lambeth Bridge – and converging connected Whitehall, adjacent to the United Kingdom Parliament.

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At slightest 25 radical were arrested and 26 constabulary officers were injured – including 4 who were earnestly hurt, according to the Metropolitan Police.

Al Jazeera witnessed radical waving an assortment of flags – Union Jacks, the reddish and achromatic St George’s Cross of England and the Israeli Star of David – chanting “[Keir] Starmer is simply a w*****” arsenic they flocked to spot celebrated far-right speakers adjacent to the UK Prime Minister’s Downing Street residence, including Robinson, Katie Hopkins, and Steve Bannon.

Robinson, whose existent sanction is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon and is known for his anti-immigrant and anti-Islam views, billed the march arsenic a objection for escaped speech, British practice and culture, pumping up the assemblage with claims that migrants present had much rights successful tribunal than the “British public, the radical that built this nation”.

The Met deployed much than 1,600 officers to support isolated Robinson’s rally and a antagonistic “Stand Up to Racism” protestation attended by astir 5,000 people, reporting connected X that a fig of officers were assaulted arsenic they tried to halt the erstwhile breaching cordons delineating a buffer country betwixt the two.

The fig of arrests contrasted sharply with the 890 radical detained astatine the erstwhile week’s Palestine Action protest, wherever protesters holding up placards calling for the UK’s prohibition connected the radical to beryllium lifted and for a halt to genocide successful Gaza had demonstrated peacefully.

Stand Up to Racism counterprotest held

At the counterprotest, attended by left-wing lawmakers Zarah Sultana and Diane Abbott, the assemblage held signs saying “refugees welcome” and ”smash the acold right,” and shouted “stand up, combat back”.

The “Stand Up to Racism” run radical posted connected X that its protesters had besides been attacked by Robinson’s followers. “Are these the ‘concerned mean people’ we’ve heard truthful overmuch about? Or are they acold close thugs,” said 1 post.

Robinson’s rally comes astatine the process extremity of a highly charged summertime successful the UK that featured respective protests staged extracurricular hotels lodging asylum seekers successful England, pursuing the apprehension of an Ethiopian antheral who was aboriginal convicted of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old miss successful a London suburb.

BREAKING: acold close thugs onslaught anti-fascists successful Whitehall. Are these the “concerned mean people” we’ve heard truthful overmuch about? Or are they acold close thugs. #StandUptoRacism pic.twitter.com/0rkMf5BxmM

— Stand Up To Racism (@AntiRacismDay) September 13, 2025

It besides comes arsenic the far-right, anti-immigrant Reform UK enactment establishes itself arsenic a important governmental force, with caller polls saying it would beryllium the UK’s largest governmental enactment if a wide predetermination were held now.

People astatine the march displayed placards with slogans similar “send them home” and “stop the boats”, the second a notation to asylum seekers making the perilous travel implicit the English Channel successful inflatable boats.

One pistillate who had travelled from Scotland for the march told Al Jazeera that she was sick of seeing stateless British radical successful the thoroughfare portion immigrants were receiving structure and that bare buildings should beryllium opened for some groups.

“Bad things are going to hap if things don’t change,” she said.

Robinson founded the nationalist and anti-Islam English Defence League (EDL) and is 1 of the astir influential far-right figures successful the UK.

While the assemblage attending the “Unite the Kingdom” was large, it fell acold abbreviated of 1 of the biggest pro-Palestinian marches, which drew an estimated 300,000 radical successful November 2023.

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies