Elon Musk urged Britons to “fight back or die” against the “destruction of the country” due to immigration in incendiary comments made at a rally in central London that descended into violence on Saturday.
The technology billionaire, who was speaking by video link at a “Unite the Kingdom” march organised by the far-right activist Tommy Robinson, called for a general election and accused the UK government of failing “to protect innocent people including children who are getting gang-raped”.
Musk, 54, owner of the social media platform X, claimed: “There’s this genuine risk of rape and murder and the destruction of the country and the dissolution of the entire way of life. If you weren’t under a massive attack then people should go about their business and live their lives, but unfortunately if the fight comes to you, you don’t have a choice.”
He added: “Whether you choose violence or not, violence is coming to you. You either fight back or you die, that’s the truth, I think.”
Marchers descend on central London
Robinson was joined by the likes of Katie Hopkins, left
TOBY SHEPHEARD FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES
At least 25 people had been arrested by 7.30pm after Scotland Yard said that 26 officers had been injured at the rally, the majority as a result of assaults.
Supporters of Robinson, 42, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, hurled objects at the police, including planks of wood, bottles and a traffic cone.
Watch: skirmishes with police
The home secretary condemned those who had attacked police. Shabana Mahmood said: “The right to peaceful protest is fundamental to this nation. I thank the police who worked hard to ensure much of today’s protest was peaceful. But I condemn those who have attacked and injured police officers. Anyone taking part in criminal activity will face the full force of the law.”
How many people attended the London rally on September 13?
Police estimated that between 110,000 and 150,000 attended Robinson’s march, which ran from Waterloo to the bottom end of Whitehall in what is believed to be the largest right-wing demonstration in British history.
Many of the protesters were waving Union Jacks and crosses of St George, while others carried biblical imagery and photographs of Charlie Kirk, the American right-wing activist who was shot dead on Wednesday.
TOBY SHEPHEARD FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES
The protest was largely peaceful for the early part of the day. However, the Metropolitan Police accused a contingent of Robinson supporters of breaching cordons later to face off with anti-racist counterprotesters who had marched to Trafalgar Square.
The Met said that the injuries to the police included “11 minor injuries, 11 moderate, 4 more serious, including an officer who had their teeth knocked out, and another who suffered a prolapsed disc and a head injury”.
A protester with a facial wound
GEORGE CRACKNELL WRIGHT
An injured protester grapples with police
LUCY NORTH/PA
Speakers at the march, who addressed the crowd on stage at Whitehall, included the right-wing agitator Katie Hopkins and the actor Laurence Fox.
Musk warns about ‘destruction of Britain’
Musk has previously posted a series of messages on X accusing Sir Keir Starmer, the prime minister, of failing to prosecute gangs that systematically groomed and raped young girls, and has called for Jess Phillips, the safeguarding minister, to be jailed.
He told the rally: “I think 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. A failure by the government to protect innocent people including children who are getting gang raped.”
Musk told Robinson’s supporters: “My appeal is to British common sense, which is to look carefully around you and say, if this continues, what world will you be living in? This is a message to the reasonable centre, the people who ordinarily wouldn’t get involved in politics, who just want to live their lives. They don’t want that, they’re quiet, they just go about their business. My message is to them: if this continues, that violence is going to come to you, you will have no choice.”
Musk, who was formerly a close ally of President Trump, also told the crowd that “the left is the party of murder” in reference to the death of Kirk. He said: “There’s so much violence on the left, with our friend Charlie Kirk getting murdered in cold blood this week and people on the left celebrating it openly. The left is the party of murder and celebrating murder. I mean, let that sink in for a minute, that’s who we’re dealing with here.” He said that the British public were “scared to exercise their [right to] free speech” and claimed the BBC was “complicit in the destruction of Britain”.
Protesters came from all over the world
TOBY SHEPHEARD FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES
When they finished their conversation, Robinson said: “Not only are we in the fight right now, but we’re on the advance thanks to free speech being fought for, for us, by Elon Musk.”
A Labour source said: “Threats of violence have no place in our politics, and every politician who believes in democracy should distance themselves from these disgusting comments.” Reform said it had no relationship with Musk. Nigel Farage, its leader, said last winter that he was in regular touch with the billionaire and that he had given “serious thought” to donating.
By about 4pm riot police, backed by mounted patrols and dog units, were struggling to protect a group of masked antifascists hemmed in at the top of Whitehall. Missiles and flares were thrown by Robinson supporters, with some hitting officers. Many chanted abuse at the police, mocked officers and spat at them.
The Met said on X: “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. A number of officers have been assaulted.”
It later added: “The turnout for the Unite the Kingdom protest was too big to fit into Whitehall. Protesters left the route on to Victoria Embankment and sought to access Whitehall from multiple directions … When officers moved in to stop them, they faced unacceptable violence. They were assaulted with kicks and punches. Bottles, flares and other projectiles were thrown.”
More than 1,600 officers were deployed to deal with the demonstrations as well as several football fixtures in the capital. At least 500 police had been drafted in from forces outside London, including the Merseyside, Humberside and Avon & Somerset forces.