Tommy Robinson attends the Unite The Kingdom rally on September 13, 2025 in London, England. Tens of thousands of people marched through central London on Saturday in a rally that led to clashes with police. The demonstrations left the city tense as anti-racism protesters also gathered in a counter-march.Police deployed about 1,000 officers and set up barriers to separate the two groups near the Houses of Parliament.The rally was led by Tommy Robinson, born Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, and was among the largest far-right gatherings in the UK in recent years. Police estimated the turnout at 110,000 to 150,000. Originally described as a “festival of free speech,” the event focused on anti-immigration messages and nationalist themes. Clashes broke out, with police reporting 26 officers injured, four of them seriously, and 25 arrests.
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Who is Tommy Robinson
Robinson became known in the late 2000s as co-founder of the English Defence League (EDL), a group recognised for its anti-Islam stance and street protests. The EDL often drew criticism for promoting Islamophobia and xenophobia, with its rallies sometimes ending in violence. Robinson left the group in 2013 but continued to promote similar views through social media and public events.In 2019, Robinson was convicted of contempt of court for broadcasting a Facebook Live video outside a trial, which caused a mistrial. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison and released early in 2020 after serving part of his sentence.Robinson has also served jail terms for assault in 2005, mortgage fraud in 2014, and earlier contempt of court offences in 2019, when he filmed defendants during a grooming gang trial and risked interfering with the case.He presents himself as a whistleblower silenced by the state. His support base online has grown, and earlier this year Elon Musk reinstated his X account and echoed some of his claims.The Tesla CEO also joined Saturday’s protest and criticized the UK government. “There’s something beautiful about being British and what I see happening here is a destruction of Britain, initially a slow erosion, but rapidly increasing erosion of Britain with massive uncontrolled migration,” he said in a video message.
‘Unite the Kingdom’ protest
London’s streets became the site of a major protest as Tommy Robinson led the “Unite the Kingdom” rally, which drew more than a hundred thousand participants. Tens of thousands marched, and clashes broke out with police at several points.Many demonstrators arrived in the city by train and coach for what was promoted as a “festival of free speech.” But, according to The Guardian, speeches at the rally included racist conspiracy theories and anti-Muslim remarks.Police said officers were punched, kicked, and struck with bottles thrown from the fringes of the rally. More than 1,000 officers were deployed, and reinforcements with helmets and riot shields were brought in when required, the Associated Press reported.The UK Metropolitan Police estimated the turnout at between 110,000 and 150,000 people, a number far higher than initially expected.