London’s streets swelled with tension and symbolism on Saturday, September 13, 2025, as more than 110,000 people turned out for a march orchestrated by Tommy Robinson, the far-right activist whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon. The “Unite the Kingdom” rally, which police estimated drew between 110,000 and 150,000 participants, became one of the largest right-wing demonstrations seen in the city in recent years. But what began as a gathering billed in support of free speech quickly devolved into chaos as a small but unruly faction clashed with law enforcement, injuring dozens and leading to a string of arrests.
According to the Associated Press, the marchers carried the red-and-white St. George’s flag and the Union Jack, their chants of “we want our country back” echoing off the city’s historic buildings. The crowd stretched nearly a kilometer, from the shadow of Big Ben across the River Thames and beyond Waterloo train station. The sheer scale of the rally—far surpassing expectations—left even seasoned observers stunned. “There is no doubt that many came to exercise their lawful right to protest, but there were many who came intent on violence,” Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist told reporters. “They confronted officers, engaging in physical and verbal abuse and making a determined effort to breach cordons in place to keep everyone safe.”
Out of the more than 1,000 police officers on duty, 26 were injured during the unrest. Four officers suffered serious injuries, including broken teeth, a concussion, a possible broken nose, and even a spinal injury. Reinforcements equipped with helmets and riot shields were quickly deployed as bottles and other objects flew through the air. At least 25 individuals were arrested for offenses such as violent disorder, assaults, and criminal damage. The investigation, police said, is ongoing.
The “Unite the Kingdom” rally was not without a counterpoint. Just blocks away, about 5,000 people gathered for the rival “March Against Fascism,” organized by Stand Up To Racism. Their placards read “refugees welcome” and “smash the far right,” and their chants of “stand up, fight back” provided a sharp contrast to the anti-migrant slogans of the larger rally. At one particularly tense moment, supporters of Robinson threw items at the counterprotesters and attempted to breach police barriers, forcing officers to physically hold back the crowd. A man with blood streaming down his face was seen being escorted away by police, heckled by counterprotesters—a stark image of the day’s volatility.
The rhetoric at the “Unite the Kingdom” event was unmistakably anti-migrant, reflecting a broader European anxiety over migration. Robinson himself, addressing the crowd in a hoarse voice, claimed, “Migrants now had more rights in court than the British public, the people that built this nation.” Far-right French politician Eric Zemmour, a guest speaker, echoed the same themes. “We are both subject to the same process of the great replacement of our European people by peoples coming from the south and of Muslim culture, you and we are being colonized by our former colonies,” Zemmour declared, drawing a direct line between British and continental anxieties.
Adding further international weight to the event, Tesla CEO and X platform owner Elon Musk appeared via video link to issue his own warning. “There’s something beautiful about being British and what I see happening here is a destruction of Britain, initially a slow erosion, but rapidly increasing erosion of Britain with massive uncontrolled migration,” Musk said, according to the Associated Press. His remarks, like those of the other speakers, were met with cheers from the crowd.
Signs and banners made the march’s focus explicit: “stop the boats,” “send them home,” and “enough is enough, save our children” were just some of the slogans on display. The proliferation of UK flags at the event—and across the country this summer—has been interpreted by some as a show of national pride, while others see it as a troubling tilt toward nationalism.
The timing of the rally is no accident. The UK has been riven by debate over migrants crossing the English Channel in overcrowded inflatable boats, a phenomenon that has triggered a wave of anti-migrant protests. Earlier in the summer, demonstrations outside hotels housing asylum-seekers sometimes erupted into violence following the arrest of an Ethiopian man, who was later convicted of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in a London suburb. Those protests, too, ended with arrests and injuries—underscoring the charged atmosphere surrounding migration in Britain today.
Despite the size of the “Unite the Kingdom” rally, it was still dwarfed by other recent demonstrations. For context, a pro-Palestinian rally in November 2023 drew an estimated 300,000 people, according to police. Still, Saturday’s event was a clear indicator of the growing influence of far-right activism in the UK—and of the deep divisions running through British society.
The day’s events were tinged with sorrow as well. Several speakers paid tribute to slain U.S. conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was shot dead on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, on a Utah college campus. His widow, Erika Kirk, spoke publicly for the first time on Saturday, often quoting the Bible as she honored her late husband. “Their one-year-old son and three-year-old daughter were reportedly in the crowd when their father was shot,” AP reported. The suspect, Tyler Robinson, remains in custody and is scheduled to be formally charged on Tuesday, September 16.
Back in London, a moment of silence was held for Kirk, followed by a bagpiper playing “Amazing Grace.” One demonstrator held a sign reading: “Freedom of speech is dead. RIP Charlie Kirk.” The tribute to Kirk served as a rallying point for Robinson’s supporters, many of whom see themselves as part of a global movement against what they perceive as threats to Western identity and values.
Robinson himself is no stranger to controversy—or to the inside of a courtroom. He had planned a similar “Unite the Kingdom” rally in October 2024, but was unable to attend after being jailed for contempt of court. The conviction stemmed from his violation of a 2021 High Court order barring him from repeating libelous allegations against a Syrian refugee who had successfully sued him. Robinson has also previously served jail time for assault and mortgage fraud.
As dusk settled over London, the city’s streets bore the marks of a day that was both a show of force and a window into the anxieties and fissures shaping Britain’s future. The investigation into Saturday’s violence continues, with police vowing to hold accountable those who crossed the line from protest to disorder. For many, the march will be remembered not just for its size, but for the stark reminder it offered of the volatile mix of nationalism, migration, and free speech in modern Britain.
