Thousands fill London streets for “Unite the Kingdom” rally organized by far-right activist Tommy Robinson

More than 100,000 demonstrators packed London streets Saturday for a march organized by far-right activist Tommy Robinson.

The “Unite the Kingdom” rally got underway as much smaller numbers of counterprotesters, organized by the Stand Up To Racism group, gathered under the banner of the “March Against Fascism.”

More than 1,000 police officers were on duty to patrol the dueling demonstrations, and there was a buffer zone to keep the two from engaging with each other near the halls of government.

Police estimated the crowd at the Robinson rally at about 110,000 people. The rival protest had about 5,000 marchers.

At one point, the larger crowd stretched from Big Ben across the River Thames and around the corner beyond Waterloo train station, a distance of three-quarters of a mile (around a kilometer).

While the crowd was large, it fell far short of one of the biggest recent marches when a pro-Palestinian rally drew an estimated 300,000 people in November 2023.

Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon and is known for his nationalist and anti-migrant views, billed the march as a demonstration for free speech, and also said it was in defense of British heritage and culture.

The marches come at a time when the U.K. has been riven by debate over migrants crossing the English Channel in overcrowded inflatable boats to arrive on shore without authorization.

Numerous anti-migrant protests were held this summer outside hotels housing asylum-seekers following the arrest of an Ethiopian man who was later convicted of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in a London suburb. Some of those protests became violent and led to arrests.

Participants in the “Unite the Kingdom” march carried the St. George’s red-and-white flag of England and the Union Jack, the state flag of the United Kingdom, and chanted, “We want our country back.” U.K. flags have proliferated this summer across the U.K. — at events and on village lampposts — in what some have said is a show of national pride and others said reflects a tilt toward nationalism.

Some Robinson supporters held signs saying “stop the boats,” “send them home,” and “enough is enough, save our children.”

At the counterprotest, the crowd held signs saying “refugees welcome” and “smash the far right,” and shouted “stand up, fight back.”

Robinson supporters chanted crude refrains about U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and also shouted messages of support for slain U.S. conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Kirk was shot and killed on Wednesday at Utah Valley University as he addressed a large crowd at an outdoor debate. Officials described it as a “targeted attack,” and it drew condemnation from both sides of the political aisle as authorities launched a massive search for the suspect. 

Officials announced they have a person in custody for the fatal shooting and identified him as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, who resides in southern Utah. Robinson was arrested on charges of aggravated murder, obstruction of justice and felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury, according to an inmate booking sheet from the Utah County Sheriff’s Office.

One demonstrator held a sign saying: “Freedom of speech is dead. RIP Charlie Kirk.”

Robinson had planned a “Unite the Kingdom” rally last October, but couldn’t attend after being jailed for contempt of court for violating a 2021 High Court order barring him from repeating libelous allegations against a Syrian refugee who successfully sued him. He previously served jail time for assault and mortgage fraud.

Robinson founded the nationalist and anti-Islamist English Defence League and is one of the most influential far-right figures in Britain. He urged followers not to wear masks, drink booze or get violent.