More than 110,000 people attended a far-right protest in London organised by Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, known as Tommy Robinson, on Saturday. The Metropolitan Police reported at least 25 arrests and 26 officers injured, four seriously, as clashes erupted between protesters and police. Bottles, flares and other projectiles were thrown, and officers faced kicks and punches.
The rally, billed as a “festival of free speech”, featured video remarks from Elon Musk, who called for the dissolution of the UK parliament, and French far-right politician Éric Zemmour, who promoted the “great replacement” conspiracy theory. The crowd, largely white and displaying Union Jack and St George flags, chanted slogans including “Tommy” and “England”.
The scale of the protest vastly exceeded police estimates, with thousands unable to enter Whitehall, the designated endpoint. About 5,000 counter-protesters from trade unions and anti-fascist groups marched separately. Police described the violence as “unacceptable”.
Attendees expressed concerns over immigration and national identity. One woman from Merseyside said she was “British through and through”, while a man from south Wales said he wanted to “unite the kingdom”. Many denied the event was far-right, describing it as a “patriotic visit”.
