London, United Kingdom. Tens of thousands of people marched through central London on Saturday in two separate protests, one against high levels of immigration and another in support of Palestinians. Police deployed 4,000 officers and said they had made 11 arrests by 1200 GMT.
Police operation and arrests
Police said the deployment included reinforcements from outside the capital and described it as their biggest public order operation in years. They pledged “the most assertive possible use of our powers” and had forecast turnout of at least 80,000.
Government criticism and organisers
Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday accused organisers of the Unite the Kingdom march of “peddling hate and division, plain and simple”. The march was organised by anti-Islam activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, known as Tommy Robinson.
Entry bans and prior protest
The government barred 11 people it described as “foreign far-right agitators” from entering Britain to address the protest. Police said a previous protest led by Robinson in September drew around 150,000 people and featured a video address by U.S. tech billionaire Elon Musk; more than 20 people were arrested, and police said they were still seeking more than 50 suspects.
Demonstration details and participant views
On Saturday, Robinson supporters gathered in central London, waving mainly British and English flags. Allison Parr, who attended, said: “I think that too much migration – not migration, but too much migration – is causing a lot of problems, upsetting a delicate balance here,” and also criticised net-zero environmental policies.
Migration figures and political context
Annual net migration approached 900,000 in 2022 and 2023, but fell back to around 200,000 last year after tighter work visa rules. Concern over immigration, including the arrival of asylum seekers on small boats, has weighed on Starmer’s popularity and boosted the right-wing Reform UK party, whose leader Nigel Farage has distanced himself from Robinson.
How do you think the government should respond to public concern about immigration while maintaining public order at large protests?