Thousands of people gathered in central London on Saturday for the Unite the Kingdom march organised by far-right activist Tommy Robinson, with organisers saying some 110,000 attended. The event, billed as a free-speech rally, descended into disorder in the afternoon when officers trying to keep the crowd within a designated area were met with bottles, flares and other projectiles; the Metropolitan Police said nine people were arrested.
The demonstration began in the late morning on the South Bank and moved through Westminster, drawing large numbers waving Union flags and England banners and carrying placards expressing anger over migration and other issues. Tributes were held to conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, who was shot dead in the United States this week, and speakers urged supporters to resist what they described as threats to British culture and security.
Police prepared for disturbances throughout the day. The Met said it had deployed around 1,600 officers to manage the rally and a separate counter-demonstration organised by Stand Up To Racism at Russell Square. Mounted units and officers in protective gear were among those used to hold lines as clashes broke out near Whitehall and Trafalgar Square in the early evening.
Organisers and some participants described the turnout as a show of frustration over migration policy and free-speech concerns. A number of speakers addressed the crowd in Whitehall, including former actor and activist Laurence Fox and Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki from New Zealand. Courtney Wright, a 13-year-old who had been at the centre of a controversy after wearing a Union Jack dress to school, also spoke on stage. X owner Elon Musk appeared by videolink and criticised the government and mainstream media.
Robinson, whose birth name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, addressed the crowd and called for a cultural “revolution,” telling supporters: "Feel your strength, you are part of a tidal wave of patriotism that is sweeping across this country." Several foreign figures also spoke, including Petr Bystron of Germany's Alternative for Germany party.
The atmosphere was charged from early on. Reporters at the scene described flares and the smell of smoke and alcohol on parts of the South Bank. Organisers and some protesters talked of mounting frustration over migration and public safety; others said they had come to protest what they view as restrictions on free speech. Counter-demonstrators gathered separately and later moved towards Whitehall, heightening the risk of confrontation.
Police said officers trying to prevent crowds from moving outside the designated area in Whitehall were assaulted and subject to “unacceptable violence.” The Met said officers were struck with kicks and punches and hit by bottles and other projectiles. Footage broadcast and posted online showed police using riot shields and forming lines as objects were thrown. The force said more people had been identified as committing offences and that further action would follow.
Medical assistance was visible during the unrest. Photographs and accounts from the scene showed at least one person with a facial injury and another being treated for a head wound. The force did not immediately release a figure for injuries to officers or members of the public.
The demonstration prompted travel disruption in central London, with some tourist services affected and streets around Westminster and the South Bank busy for much of the day. Passengers on an open-top sightseeing bus were delayed when the march blocked traffic; a tour guide described the scene to bewildered visitors as the protesters filled the road.
Local authorities and police described the operation as necessary to keep the two sides apart and to protect public safety. A Met infographic shared during the day marked locations of protesters and counter-demonstrators and flagged sites where disorder had occurred.
Organisers' attendance figures have not been independently verified by police. Robinson has a long history of divisive campaigning and multiple convictions related to public order matters. Stand Up To Racism, which organised the counter-demonstration, staged speeches in Russell Square before marching towards the area of the rally.
As evening fell, police continued to manage crowds and clear areas where disorder had taken place. The Met said a number of people had been identified on video and photographic evidence and that more arrests could follow once enquiries had concluded. The force reiterated that officers would take action against those who assaulted staff or committed offences during the event.