More than 100,000 people converged on central London on Saturday for a march and rally organised by far-right activist Tommy Robinson, as a smaller counter-protest by anti-racism campaigners took place nearby. The demonstration, which Robinson dubbed the country’s “biggest free speech festival,” saw huge crowds, many draped in British and English flags, gather south of Westminster throughout the morning.
Attendees marched over Westminster Bridge before assembling near Downing Street for speeches by far-right figures from across Europe and North America. “The silent majority will be silent no longer,” Robinson, a veteran of UK far-right organising, told the throng. “Today is the spark of a cultural revolution.” UK police estimated attendance at 110,000, using a combination of CCTV and helicopter footage.
Roughly a mile north, around 5,000 people participated in a ‘Stand Up to Racism’ march. Police deployed approximately 1,000 officers to maintain separation between the rival groups.
The dual demonstrations unfolded against a backdrop of escalating anti-immigration sentiment in the UK. Nigel Farage’s hard-right Reform UK party is currently leading in opinion polls, and protests have frequently targeted hotels housing asylum seekers.
Robinson, 42, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, boasts a significant online following and a history of criminal convictions. After years of spearheading a fervent anti-Muslim and anti-migrant agenda, he has increasingly merged these themes with claims that Britain is hostile to free speech. “Every day in the papers you read things and you’re being left stunned — arresting people because they dared to talk about immigration or gender issues,” Philip Dodge, a retired baker from Sheffield, told AFP, having travelled with his wife for the event, which was also livestreamed to hundreds of thousands online. “I’m very concerned. I never thought I’d see this in this country.”
Other attendees, including women and young people, expressed primary concerns about migration. “It’s an invasion,” said Ritchie, 28, who gave only his first name, referring to record levels of UK immigration and the tens of thousands of asylum seekers arriving annually via small boats across the Channel. “They don’t understand we want our country back,” he added, criticising both the ruling centre-left Labour government and its Conservative predecessors, while calling Robinson “a hero.”
At the anti-racism event, veteran Labour lawmaker Diane Abbott accused Robinson and his allies of spreading “nonsense” and “dangerous” lies that asylum seekers pose a threat. “We need to be in solidarity with asylum seekers, and we need to show that we are united,” she told Sky News. London police, who brought in officers from other forces, imposed conditions on both protest routes and timings, insisting they end at different times and conclude by evening.
Among the placards at Robinson’s event were photos of Charlie Kirk, the right-wing American activist and ally of former President Donald Trump, who was reportedly killed this week. Other signs bore slogans like “stop the boats” and derided Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Planned speakers included French politician Eric Zemmour, Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson, and Petr Bystron of Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Reports also suggested former White House strategist Steve Bannon would address the crowds.
The event comes just over a year after anti-immigration riots swept several cities, which Robinson was accused of fuelling with inflammatory online posts. Concerns over free speech have become more mainstream, with the government facing criticism after banning the Palestine Action group in July, leading to hundreds of arrests of peaceful protesters under anti-terror laws. The recent arrest of an award-winning comedy writer for allegedly insulting transgender people online also sparked widespread derision, prompting Prime Minister Keir Starmer to urge police to “focus on the most serious issues.” However, London’s Metropolitan Police chief Mark Rowley stated the law needed changing and that his officers should not be “policing toxic culture wars debates.”
Robinson’s influence, once thought to be waning after various legal and personal difficulties, has seen a resurgence since his X account was reinstated in November 2023, following billionaire Elon Musk’s acquisition of the platform.
