Protesters at Saturday's "Unite The Kingdom" march in central London were filmed calling for the assassination of Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, while the Metropolitan Police said officers faced "unacceptable violence" and made nine arrests.
In footage shared online, a man tells interviewer William Coleshill that "Keir Starmer needs to be assassinated, someone needs to shoot Keir Starmer." Coleshill, a former Conservative councillor and conspiracy theorist, responded that Starmer should be put on trial and "lawfully executed." The exchange, recorded among a large crowd of demonstrators, drew widespread condemnation on social media and calls for police action.
The march, organised by anti-immigrant activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, known as Tommy Robinson, drew police estimates of about 110,000 people who gathered at Stamford Street near Waterloo Bridge and moved towards Whitehall. The Metropolitan Police said groups from the demonstration attempted to force their way through police lines, throwing bottles, flares and other projectiles and assaulting officers.
A police spokesperson said officers had faced "significant aggression" and had to use force to prevent the cordon being breached. Reinforcements, including mounted officers, were sent to several locations by mid-afternoon. By just before 5 p.m., the force reported nine arrests for various offences and said it had identified more people believed to have committed offences.
Organisers and speakers remained on stage in Whitehall past a 6 p.m. cut-off time that had been imposed by police. The march included participants carrying Union flags and images of Charlie Kirk, the American conservative activist who was shot dead while speaking at a university event in Utah earlier this week. Dozens of tributes to Kirk were visible among the crowd, and some speakers referenced his death during addresses.
A counter-demonstration organised by Stand Up To Racism assembled at the opposite end of Whitehall, and the Met said officers worked to create a safe exit route for those taking part in the counter-protest. The force described attempts by some marchers to access "sterile areas" and to reach counter-protesters, adding that a number of officers had been assaulted in the disorder.
Social media users and commentators demanded that those urging violence be arrested. The Met said it would pursue identified suspects and take action "even if it is not possible to do so today." The force released an infographic showing the locations of protesters, counter-protesters and sites of disorder.
The event featured high-profile supporters. A livestream participant identified by organisers included Elon Musk, who criticised the UK Government in remarks conveyed to the gathering. One speaker, actor and activist Laurence Fox, paid tribute to Charlie Kirk and called for measures to protect free speech.
William Coleshill has previously been publicly associated with conspiracy theories and was a former Conservative councillor. Calls for the death of a political figure drew immediate scrutiny because the United Kingdom abolished the death penalty for murder in 1965 and has no provision for capital punishment.
The Metropolitan Police said officers continued to face aggression in multiple locations, particularly around the north of Whitehall, as they worked to maintain order. The force said it would review the day's events and that further enforcement action could follow after identification of individuals involved in criminal behaviour.
The march on Saturday was described by participants as a protest against immigration policy. Police said the turnout had been too large to fit within the agreed Whitehall route and that, as protesters left the authorised line and sought access from several directions, officers had to intervene to stop breaches that led to the disorder.
Authorities and campaign groups are expected to assess the incident and the online footage calling for violence in the coming days as police investigations continue.