Far-right activist Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, addressed tens of thousands of supporters in central London on Saturday, urging them to prepare for the 'battle of Britain' ahead of the next general election. The rally, the second 'unite the kingdom' march, saw Islamophobic and ethnonationalist hate speech and flyers distributed among the crowd.
Police estimated attendance at around 60,000, significantly lower than the 150,000 who attended last September's march. Organisers claimed millions were present. Robinson told the crowd in Parliament Square that the event was 'a turning point for Britain' and encouraged supporters to move beyond street protest and become involved in local politics.
The Metropolitan Police reported spending £4.5 million policing the march and a separate pro-Palestinian demonstration, with 4,000 officers on duty. Armoured vehicles, dogs, drones, and helicopters were deployed. By 7.30pm, 43 arrests had been made across both events, though the force noted both protests had proceeded largely without significant incident.
Two men were arrested near Euston station before the rally: one wanted for grievous bodily harm after an incident in Birmingham, and another for encouraging attacks on a police officer. The protests featured a strong Christian theme, with many carrying wooden crosses and chanting 'Christ is king'.
Robinson led chants of support for Elon Musk, thanking him on behalf of Great Britain. The rally also heard from 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 crowd via video link, claiming he had been banned from entering the UK.
Campaign group Hope Not Hate described the scale of Robinson's movement as 'deeply worrying', noting that while growth may have stalled, the movement remains a significant threat. The government is understood to have blocked 11 foreign nationals from attending the rally.
