Far-right activist Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, told tens of thousands of supporters to prepare for the 'battle of Britain' during a rally in central London on Saturday. The event, the second 'unite the kingdom' march, featured Islamophobic and ethnonationalist hate speech and flyers distributed to crowds.
Police estimated the number of demonstrators at about 60,000, far lower than the 150,000 who attended last September's march. Organisers claimed millions attended. Robinson, founder of the anti-Islam English Defence League, told crowds in Parliament Square that the rally was 'a turning point for Britain' and encouraged supporters to become involved in local politics before the next general election.
Campaign group Hope Not Hate said the scale of Robinson's movement remained 'deeply worrying', despite lower turnout. The Metropolitan Police said it had spent £4.5 million policing the march and a separate pro-Palestinian demonstration, with about 4,000 officers on duty. As of 7.30pm, 43 arrests had been made across both events.
Two men were arrested near Euston station in connection with separate offences, including one wanted for grievous bodily harm. The rally had a significant Christian theme, with many protesters carrying wooden crosses and chanting 'Christ is king'. Others wore red 'make England great again' hats.
Robinson led chants of support for Elon Musk, thanking him on behalf of Great Britain. The rally was also addressed by Siobhan Whyte, whose daughter Rhiannon was murdered by a Sudanese asylum seeker in 2024. She criticised Prime Minister Keir Starmer, saying he had failed her daughter. Polish politician Dominik Tarczyński addressed the crowds via video link, claiming he had been banned from entering the UK.
