London: Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of London on Saturday for a mass rally organised by far-right activist Tommy Robinson, as support for the anti-immigrant Reform UK party surges across Britain.
The Metropolitan Police estimated that Robinson’s ‘Unite the Kingdom’ march drew about 110,000 demonstrators, who converged on Whitehall from Waterloo and Lambeth bridges. The crowd waved Union Jacks, the red and white St George’s Cross, and Israeli flags while chanting insults at Labour leader Keir Starmer.
Among the speakers addressing the rally near the Prime Minister’s Downing Street residence were Robinson, commentator Katie Hopkins, and former Trump adviser Steve Bannon.
Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, framed the protest as a defence of free speech, British heritage, and culture. He claimed migrants had been granted more rights in court than the British public.
The Met deployed more than 1,600 officers to separate Robinson’s rally from a counter-demonstration organised by the ‘Stand Up to Racism’ campaign, which drew about 5,000 people.
We came, we saw, we conquered.
Millions hit central London in a show of patriotic unity like nothing seen before.
A cultural revolution has begun.
The future belongs to us.
This one is for you Charlie Kirk 🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/L2VVmjELqZ
— Tommy Robinson 🇬🇧 (@TRobinsonNewEra) September 13, 2025
The force said several officers were assaulted as they attempted to prevent Robinson’s supporters from breaching police cordons. Nine arrests were made, with additional officers and mounted units deployed across central London.
The counterprotest, attended by MPs Zarah Sultana and Diane Abbott, featured placards declaring refugees welcome and smash the far right.
The rally capped a summer of heightened tension in the UK, marked by anti-migrant demonstrations outside hotels housing asylum seekers. Anger has been fuelled by the case of an Ethiopian man convicted of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in London.
The march also coincides with the rapid rise of Reform UK. Recent polls suggest the party, founded on an anti-immigration platform, could emerge as the largest force in British politics. Many of Robinson’s supporters carried placards reading ‘send them home’ and ‘stop the boats,’ echoing Reform UK’s rhetoric on Channel crossings.
