Supporters of far-right activist Tommy Robinson were filmed calling for the assassination of Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer during a large anti-migrant demonstration in central London on Saturday, footage and police accounts showed, as clashes between protesters and officers left at least nine people arrested.
In a video circulated online, a man standing among marchers told broadcaster and former Conservative councillor William Coleshill that "Keir Starmer needs to be assassinated, someone needs to shoot Keir Starmer." Coleshill responded that Starmer should instead be tried and "lawfully executed," comments that drew widespread condemnation on social media. The footage was recorded amid an estimated 110,000 participants in the event organised by Robinson, whose given name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon.
The demonstration, titled "Unite the Kingdom," met near Stamford Street close to Waterloo Bridge before moving towards the southern end of Whitehall. The Metropolitan Police said officers faced "unacceptable violence" as they sought to control crowds that spilled off the authorised route onto Victoria Embankment and sought multiple access points to Whitehall.
A Met spokesperson said officers were assaulted with kicks and punches and were targeted with bottles, flares and other projectiles. Mounted officers and reinforcements were deployed after scuffles escalated and protesters attempted to breach police cordons toward counter-demonstrators. "Nine arrests have been made so far for various offences," the force said, adding that many more people had been identified as committing offences and would face police action even if arrests were not possible on the day.
A counter-protest organised by Stand Up To Racism was staged at the opposite end of Whitehall, with the Met reporting about 5,000 people in that group. The force said it was working to create a safe exit route for those taking part in the counter-demonstration and that officers continued to face aggression in multiple locations, particularly at the north of Whitehall.
Speakers and supporters at the event displayed Union flags and English flags, and several carried photographs and tributes to American conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was shot and killed while speaking at Utah Valley University earlier in the week. The apparent assassination of Kirk in the United States drew attention from some participants, with former actor and activist Laurence Fox saying he was praying for Kirk and making remarks condemning restrictions on speech.
Organisers of the London march included Robinson, a prominent anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim campaigner who has previously been convicted of a range of offences. The demonstration drew support from figures including tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, who criticised the British government during a video call to the event, according to attendees.
The clip in which Starmer is targeted prompted calls online for police to identify and arrest the speaker. Commentators also highlighted Coleshill's response endorsing the execution of a political leader, noting the United Kingdom abolished the death penalty decades ago.
Images and footage from the scene showed concentrated groups of protesters attempting to force their way through police barriers, a line of officers holding firm beneath a tunnel outside Embankment station, and confrontations on footbridges where men wrapped in St. George's flags shouted down at officers. The Met said officers had to use force to prevent their cordon being breached and were intervening in multiple locations to stop protesters reaching "sterile areas" and counter-activists.
The force said it had made nine arrests by late afternoon and was continuing to identify those involved in disorder. Police did not immediately provide details of the alleged offences for which the arrests were made.
The Unite the Kingdom march and the disorder around it come against a backdrop of rising tensions in the United Kingdom over migration and national identity, issues that have animated a series of high-profile protests in recent years. Authorities in London will now review footage from the event as they investigate violent incidents and public calls for violence against a sitting political leader.