Tens of thousands turn up for far-right rally and counter demonstration in London

LONDON - Tens of thousands of people rallied in London on May 16 at a march organised by far-right activist Tommy Robinson and a counter-demonstration fused with a pro-Palestinian protest, amid a huge police presence.

London’s Metropolitan Police said ahead of the duelling events that it would mount one of its largest operations in recent years, as the British capital also hosts the FA Cup Final football competition.

The force deployed 4,000 officers – alongside horses, dogs, drones and helicopters – to manage Mr Robinson’s so-called Unite the Kingdom march and the rival rally marking Nakba Day.

Nakba refers to the 1948 displacement of Palestinians during the creation of Israel.

Mustering in west London and ending with speeches near Piccadilly, it combined with an anti-fascism march organised by the Stand Up to Racism group.

The Unite the Kingdom march started from Holborn in the capital’s heart, before Mr Robinson and other speakers addressed crowds in Parliament Square.

Aerial footage broadcast by the British media showed tens of thousands at Mr Robinson’s rally – a sea of British Union Jack, English St George’s and other flags – while an AFP reporter estimated only several thousand at the counter-protest.

“Immigration’s the main concern,” Ms Christine Turner, 66, from north-east England, told AFP from the Unite the Kingdom march. “We’re an island. We’ve got a clear border that they’re not protecting. Something needs to be done. It’s gone on too long.”

Business owner Rikki Webster, 40, from Essex east of London, echoed the sentiment. “Multiculturalism is fine when it doesn’t overtake your culture. Why can’t we celebrate our culture?”

‘Christian values’

Across London, Mr Simon Ralls, 62, from Nottingham in central England, had turned up for the combined pro-Palestine and Stand Up to Racism event. “The right (wing) are emboldened – we’re here to try and counter that, make sure people aren’t ignorant,” he told AFP.

Mr Robinson – real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – is a former football hooligan turned anti-Islam activist whose profile has soared in recent years, in particular online.

In September 2025, he drew up to 150,000 people into central London for a similarly themed rally proclaiming “national unity, free speech and Christian values” – an unprecedented turnout for an event organised by a far-right figure.

He has tapped into growing public anger over tens of thousands of migrants crossing the English Channel each year in small boats, wider immigration policies, alleged free speech curbs and other issues.

Billionaire Elon Musk, who owns social media platform X, addressed that gathering via a video link. The rally shocked mainstream Britain for its scale and raw messaging, as well as clashes between some participants and police that injured dozens of officers.

The Met Police imposed various conditions on May 16’s two rallies, over their routes and timings, in a bid to keep rival attendees apart.

The force, which estimated the operation would cost £4.5 million (S$7.7 million), warned that it would adopt “a zero-tolerance approach”.

That includes, for the first time, making organisers legally responsible for ensuring invited speakers do not break hate speech laws.

By early afternoon, it said 11 people had been arrested for various alleged offences.

They included two men headed for the Robinson rally who were wanted on suspicion of grievous bodily harm following a previous incident in Birmingham, central England, when “a man was run over”.

‘Hatred and division’

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned on May 15 that “anyone who sets out to wreak havoc on our streets, to intimidate or threaten anyone... can expect to face the full force of the law”.

He accused the organisers of Mr Robinson’s rally of “peddling hatred and division”.

Mr Robinson has urged his attendees not to wear masks or drink excessive alcohol, and to be “peaceful and courteous”.

The police have voiced fears about football hooligan groups, which have previously supported Mr Robinson showing up.

Meanwhile, the FA Cup Final between football clubs Chelsea and Manchester City kicking off at 4pm local time (11pm) could strain the policing operation.

The Met has said live facial recognition would be used for the first time to police a protest.

Meanwhile, the government blocked 11 “foreign far-right agitators” from entering Britain for Mr Robinson’s rally.

They include US-based “extremist” Valentina Gomez, who the government said is “known for using inflammatory and dehumanising rhetoric about Muslim communities”.

The rival demonstrations on May 16 follow a spate of violent attacks targeting London’s Jewish community, with some blaming instances of hate speech at pro-Palestinian marches for helping to fuel anti-Semitism.

Britain’s terrorism threat level was raised two weeks ago to the second-highest level of “severe”, with security officials citing the “broader Islamist and extreme right-wing terrorist threat”. AFP