Police arrested 43 individuals during two concurrent protests in London on Saturday: the far-right Unite the Kingdom (UTK) rally led by Tommy Robinson and a pro-Palestinian march. The Metropolitan Police reported that 20 arrests were linked to the UTK rally, including nine for alleged hate crimes, while 12 arrests were connected to the pro-Palestinian march, including two for hate crimes. An additional 11 arrests were not associated with either group.
Far-Right Rally Falls Short of Expectations
Tommy Robinson's Unite the Kingdom rally failed to attract the massive crowds organizers had anticipated. The Metropolitan Police estimated Saturday's event drew approximately 60,000 attendees, a significant number for a British protest but far below the million or more that organizers had hoped for. This contrasts with a similar march in September, which attracted an estimated 150,000 people.
Incidents of Abuse and Assault
Among the arrests at the UTK rally were several instances of alleged hateful insults directed at police officers. One officer from a minority-ethnic background was reportedly told to "fuck off back home," two officers were subjected to homophobic abuse, and another officer was allegedly told to "take your religion and fuck off." Two suspects already arrested for other offenses also allegedly racially abused officers, using racial slurs.
One man was arrested for actual bodily harm after boarding a coach transporting pro-Palestinian protesters and allegedly punching someone in the face. Other arrests included three individuals for holding placards with offensive messages, such as "fuck Islam" and "Christ is king, fuck Islam." Earlier, the crowd had been led in a chant of "Christ is king" from the stage.
A woman was arrested near the King Charles roundabout in Whitehall for possessing an offensive weapon—a sword approximately three feet in length. An onlooker described her as being in costume as an English soldier and noted that she complied with police.
Police Assaults and Overall Conduct
The Metropolitan Police reported that five officers were allegedly assaulted during the protests, though none required hospital treatment. Saturday's far-right protest involved significantly less hostility toward police compared to the September event, where over 20 officers were allegedly assaulted and more than 50 suspects are still being sought.
On stage, Robinson denied that his movement is far-right, describing it as a "cultural movement." He has spoken about converting to Christianity after a spell in prison last year, and the event featured Christian iconography such as crosses. The crowd was invited to recite the Lord's Prayer.
Pro-Palestinian March and Counterprotests
The pro-Palestinian march, which included anti-racist counterprotesters opposing the Robinson-led rally, numbered between 15,000 and 20,000 according to police estimates, though organizers claimed 250,000 attended. Police are reviewing seven videos of written slogans and chants to determine if they cross the threshold of anti-Jewish hate speech, amid claims of stifling legitimate protest.
At the pro-Palestinian march, one person was arrested for holding a sign reading "Globalise the intifada," which police allege is a call for violence against Jews. Another was arrested for a sign supporting the proscribed group Palestine Action, and a third for a sign reading "We will not surrender, victory or martyrdom."
Overall Policing Operation
The Metropolitan Police deployed 4,000 officers in total, including reinforcements from other forces, in what they described as one of their largest operations in recent years. Tight conditions were placed on both events, with speeches monitored for potential offenses. A stunt on the UTK stage, where three people appeared in burqas before revealing themselves to be white women, was judged not to be a criminal offense.
Also taking place on Saturday was the FA Cup final at Wembley, where 22 arrests were made.
