Far-right extremists clashed with law enforcement during Tommy Robinson’s Unite the Kingdom gathering in central London.
Metropolitan Police officers were tasked with maintaining order as rally participants and anti-fascist protesters congregated near Whitehall. Around 1,000 officers were on site to prevent confrontations between the two groups.
The Met reported that officers had to step in at various points in Whitehall to prevent Unite the Kingdom supporters from breaching police lines or reaching the counter demonstrators. They confirmed that several officers were assaulted.
According to the Met, officers faced projectiles and had to use force to protect their barricades. Images from the rally depicted a man with injuries confronting police officers and being restrained.
Police videos displayed instances of Unite the Kingdom members clashing with law enforcement in Whitehall. The footage also showed projectiles being thrown at police, who used shields to push back the assailants.
Law enforcement later stated that access to the rally area was restricted, and exit routes were being arranged in collaboration with the event organizers.
While event organizers claimed over a million attendees, the Met Police estimated around 110,000 people showed up. Many individuals were seen waving English, British, and Israeli flags during the demonstration.
Attendees marched from the south bank to central London before congregating in Whitehall, where Tommy Robinson and actor-turned-activist Laurence Fox were present.
Robinson emphasized during the protest that patriotism and borders are crucial for the future. He asserted that the rally was the largest in UK history, alleging a turnout of three million people.
Although the exact figures remain uncertain, the largest protest in UK history was the 2003 Stop the War rally against the Iraq war, which drew between 750,000 and over one million participants, with some claims of up to two million attendees.