More than 110,000 people gathered in central London as far-right activist Tommy Robinson led a large-scale protest, calling it the "biggest protest in British history." The rally sparked a significant counter-demonstration, attended by thousands of anti-racism campaigners.

The “Unite the Kingdom” rally, staged in Whitehall, saw Robinson supporters waving Union Jack and St George’s flags, creating a highly charged atmosphere in the capital.

Among the speakers at the event were Donald Trump’s former strategist Steve Bannon, as well as controversial figures like TV personality Katie Hopkins, Laurence Fox, and Ant Middleton. Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, claimed UK courts had recently ruled that the rights of undocumented migrants now supersede those of the “local community,” referencing a case involving asylum seekers being housed at The Bell Hotel in Essex.

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At the same time, around 5,000 people gathered nearby for the “March Against Fascism”, organised by Stand Up To Racism (SUTR). Protesters held signs reading “Refugees welcome. Stop the far right”, and were addressed by MPs Diane Abbott and Zarah Sultana, who called for unity against hate and division.

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To manage the scale and intensity of both events, the Metropolitan Police deployed 1,000 officers, with an additional 500 officers brought in from other forces across the UK. Officers set up barriers and created a “sterile area” to keep the groups apart, forming a line through Whitehall around 3pm as tensions rose.

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The Met later confirmed that some officers had been “attacked with projectiles” and physically assaulted while attempting to stop Robinson’s supporters from breaching police lines and entering restricted areas.

“Officers are having to intervene in multiple locations to stop Unite the Kingdom protesters trying to access sterile areas, breach police cordons or get to opposing groups,” the Met said on X (formerly Twitter).

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Ahead of the rally, police acknowledged “particular concerns” from Muslim communities, given Robinson’s long-standing history of anti-Muslim rhetoric and offensive chanting at past events. Commander Clair Haynes urged Muslim Londoners not to change their plans, stating that police would “take a firm line on behaviour that is discriminatory or that crosses the line from protest into hate crime.” She assured the public that officers would act “without fear or favour.”

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The Met Police confirmed that live facial recognition technology would not be used during the operation, amid public scrutiny over surveillance methods at large gatherings.

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The Unite the Kingdom rally was ordered to finish by 6pm, while the counter-protest concluded earlier, at 4pm, in accordance with organisers’ plans.