Half a million people march in London for biggest anti-far-right demonstration

Half a cardinal group are estimated to person gathered successful London connected Saturday for “the biggest objection ever against nan acold right”, organisers said.

Swathes of protesters marched done nan superior to Whitehall carrying placards reference “No to racism, nary to Trump”, and “Refugees welcome” connected streets lined pinch constabulary officers.

Rally co-organiser Kevin Courtney, chair of nan coalition, told crowds gathered connected Whitehall: “Our estimate is now that location are half a cardinal group connected this demonstration – nan biggest objection ever against nan acold right.

“And it gives america each assurance to transportation on. Thank you very much.”

Organisers said they had successfully outnumbered nan Tommy Robinson-led Unite nan Kingdom rally successful London past September, according to their estimates.

The far-right demonstration, organised by Robinson, existent sanction Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was attended by betwixt 110,000 and 150,000 people, while astir 5,000 were progressive successful an anti-racism counter-demonstration.

There were respective incidents of convulsive upset astatine nan demonstration, which near immoderate constabulary officers injured. Sir Keir Starmer condemned nan rally astatine nan clip and said it had near group emotion “more frightened than they were before”.

A number of politicians attended nan Together Alliance rally, including Your Party MPs Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana, arsenic good arsenic Green Party leader Zack Polanski and MP Hannah Spencer. Speakers included erstwhile Labour MP Diane Abbott, who now sits arsenic an independent successful parliament.

She told a cheering crowd: “The turnout coming is nan largest anti-racist march that I person seen successful my lifetime, and you should each beryllium proud of yourselves for coming retired successful specified numbers today.”

Sabby Dhalu, associated caput of nan Together Alliance and co-convenor of Stand Up To Racism, said nan UK is seeing an “unprecedented growth” successful support for far-right organisations – but that she believed nan size of attendance connected Saturday had “intimidated nan acold right” distant from a counter-protest.

“The Tommy Robinson-led Unite nan Kingdom objection backmost successful September 2025 was nan biggest far-right mobilisation successful British history,” she said.

“We judge that nan mostly of British group guidelines against nan hatred and section and racism that was being encouraged astatine that objection and by these types of organisations, and it’s clip to act.”

As Saturday’s rally began, location were shouts from a group of astir 10 counter-protesters. One personnel of nan group was carrying an Israeli flag.

A abstracted march organised by nan Palestine Coalition besides took spot and joined nan way of nan Together Alliance earlier nan groups formed up for nan rally connected Whitehall.

The Metropolitan Police arrested 25 group by nan extremity of nan demonstrations, including 2 for climbing up nan National Gallery columns and 18 Palestine Action supporters. A group of group staged a protestation successful support of nan proscribed group extracurricular New Scotland Yard.

It comes days aft nan Met announced they will resume arresting protesters for holding signs successful support of nan banned group.

Officers imposed nationalist bid conditions banning nan associated rally from continuing aft 5pm.

Met Police lawman adjunct commissioner Jon Savell said earlier nan arena that this will beryllium a “busy play for our officers but we person elaborate plans successful spot to guarantee each groups protesting this play tin do truthful lawfully and without causing superior disruption to different Londoners, businesses aliases visitors”.

As good arsenic nan wide demonstration, a number of protests against nan Iranian authorities – some fixed assemblies and marches – were taking spot successful nan Westminster area connected some Saturday and Sunday, nan Metropolitan Police said.