Violent clashes broke out during a Tommy Robinson–led "Unite the Kingdom" march in central London on Saturday, leaving an unconscious man needing to be dragged to safety, horses struck by projectiles and dozens of people injured or arrested, the Metropolitan Police said.
The force said between 110,000 and 150,000 people attended the demonstration — which police described as the largest right‑wing protest in Britain’s recent history — and that it faced "significant aggression" from some participants as officers tried to police the event. At least 25 people were arrested and 26 police officers were injured, four of them seriously, the Met added.
Video and eyewitness accounts showed at least seven officers attempting to rescue a man who was left splayed on the pavement near Whitehall, close to Trafalgar Square, as tensions boiled over between supporters of the march and counter‑demonstrators. Two officers pulled the apparently unconscious man away while mounted officers formed a line to prevent others closing in. Other footage recorded bottles and other objects thrown, and at least one bottle striking a police horse and causing rider and animal to stagger.
Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said officers had policed the event "without fear or favour" but that "many came intent on violence." He said officers were assaulted and hit with projectiles, and that the force had to intervene in multiple locations to prevent breaches of cordons and protect counter‑protesters. "The violence they faced was wholly unacceptable," he said, and warned that further arrests were likely as the post‑event investigation continued.
The march, organised under the "Unite the Kingdom" banner, drew people draped in Union Jack and St. George’s flags and featured speeches from several far‑right figures. Organisers said hundreds of thousands turned out; the Met’s estimate was used publicly by policing officials. A counter‑protest organised by Stand Up To Racism marshalled about 5,000 people at the opposing end of Whitehall.
Police said initial scuffles began as crowds converged in the area and that officers had to send urgent reinforcements, including more than a hundred additional uniformed officers and dozens of mounted units, at about 4:30 p.m. to cope with attempts by groups of marchers to force their way through police lines. Projectiles were thrown toward officers and counter‑demonstrators and some marchers tried to scale fencing and scaffolding around Whitehall, the force said.
In one incident recorded by witnesses, a group of people pushed over fences and entered the grounds of St Thomas' Hospital near Westminster Bridge. British Transport Police were also called to respond after a crush near the bridge, the Met said.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood condemned those who attacked officers and said on X — formerly Twitter — that "the right to peaceful protest is fundamental to this nation" but that anyone "taking part in criminal activity will face the full force of the law." London Mayor Sadiq Khan thanked Met officers for their response and called the violence against them "completely unacceptable."
The Met gave details of the injuries sustained by officers, saying the four seriously hurt had suffered broken teeth, a possible broken nose, a concussion, a prolapsed disc and a head injury. People were arrested on suspicion of offences including affray, violent disorder, assault and criminal damage.
Organisers had set up a stage in Whitehall where speeches and music continued past the 6 p.m. cut‑off time imposed by police under the Public Order Act. The event included a video appearance from Tesla chief executive Elon Musk, who criticised the government and told attendees to "fight back or die," remarks that drew condemnation from some politicians. New Labour Business Secretary Peter Kyle called Musk’s comments "slightly incomprehensible" and "totally inappropriate." The programme also featured performances and speeches by public figures and several foreign right‑wing politicians.
The Met said the size of the Robinson crowd made it difficult to contain within Whitehall, and that confrontation intensified when officers sought to prevent some marchers from encircling or gaining access to areas where counter‑protesters and bystanders were located. Officers used batons and mounted units to push back crowds and to keep a sterile zone between the rival groups.
Assistant Commissioner Twist said investigators had already begun identifying those involved in disorder. "They can expect to face robust police action in the coming days and weeks," he said. The Met has urged anyone with footage or information about criminality at the event to come forward as inquiries continue.