Far-right extremists clashed with law enforcement officers during a gathering organized by Tommy Robinson in central London.
The Metropolitan Police mobilized around 1,000 officers to maintain separation between the attendees of the Unite the Kingdom rally and anti-fascist demonstrators near Whitehall. Police had to intervene at various points in Whitehall to prevent the Unite the Kingdom supporters from breaching police lines or reaching the counter protesters, resulting in multiple altercations and assaults on officers.
Law enforcement officials reported being targeted with projectiles and having to use force to uphold their cordons during the event. Images from the rally depicted a man with visible injuries confronting officers and being restrained.
Videos shared by the police showed confrontations between members of the Unite the Kingdom group and law enforcement in Whitehall, with instances of projectiles being hurled at officers who were equipped with shields.
The police later confirmed that access to certain areas of the rally was restricted and assured the public through a Twitter statement that exit routes were being facilitated in cooperation with the event organizers.
Although the rally organizers claimed a turnout of over a million attendees, the Metropolitan Police estimated that around 110,000 people participated in the event. Many individuals were observed waving national flags during the rally, which commenced from the south bank before progressing to Whitehall, where prominent figures like Tommy Robinson and Laurence Fox were present.
Robinson emphasized the importance of patriotism and border security during the protest, asserting that it marked the largest demonstration in UK history with an exaggerated claim of three million attendees. The actual attendance figures remain uncertain, but the largest rally in UK history prior to this event was the 2003 Stop the War protest against the Iraq war, which drew between 750,000 and over 1 million demonstrators.
Various altercations occurred during the event, with individuals seen engaging in clashes with the police as tensions ran high. Law enforcement personnel worked diligently to prevent direct confrontations between opposing groups and maintain order throughout the rally.