{"id":965632,"date":"2026-05-17T01:18:40","date_gmt":"2026-05-17T01:18:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/965632\/"},"modified":"2026-05-17T01:18:40","modified_gmt":"2026-05-17T01:18:40","slug":"london-police-arrest-31-amid-massive-anti-migrant-protest-smaller-anti-israel-march","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/965632\/","title":{"rendered":"London police arrest 31 amid massive anti-migrant protest, smaller anti-Israel march"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tens of thousands of people rallied Saturday in London at a march organized by far-right activist Tommy Robinson and at a smaller counter-demonstration fused with a pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel protest. London\u2019s Metropolitan Police said in the afternoon that they had arrested 31 people in total from both demonstrations.<\/p>\n

Police deployed 4,000 officers, including reinforcements from outside the capital, and pledged \u201cthe most assertive possible use of our powers\u201d in what they called their biggest public order operation<\/a> in years. They had earlier forecast turnout of at least 80,000 for Saturday\u2019s rallies.<\/p>\n

The force also deployed horses, dogs, drones and helicopters to manage Robinson\u2019s so-called Unite the Kingdom march and the rival rally marking Nakba Day, an annual Palestinian event commemorating the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians during Israel\u2019s 1948 War of Independence, when the nascent state came under attack by multiple Arab armies.<\/p>\n

Mustering in west London and ending with speeches near Piccadilly, it combined with an anti-fascism march organized by the Stand Up to Racism group.<\/p>\n

The Unite the Kingdom march started from Holborn in the capital\u2019s heart, before Robinson and other speakers addressed crowds in Parliament Square.<\/p>\n

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In a late afternoon update, police said the dueling events \u201chave proceeded largely without significant incident\u201d and that officers had made 31 arrests in total up to that point.<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tProtesters gather at Parliament Square during the far right Unite the Kingdom march in London, May 16, 2026.(AP Photo\/Kirsty Wigglesworth)<\/p>\n

Aerial footage broadcast by UK media showed tens of thousands at Robinson\u2019s rally \u2014 a sea of British Union Jack, English St George\u2019s and other flags \u2014 while an AFP reporter estimated only several thousand at the counter-protest.<\/p>\n

\u201cImmigration\u2019s the main concern,\u201d Christine Turner, 66, from northeast England, told AFP from the Unite the Kingdom march.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re an island. We\u2019ve got a clear border that they\u2019re not protecting. Something needs to be done. It\u2019s gone on too long.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018MEGA\u2019<\/p>\n

Attendees \u2014 some sporting \u201cMake England Great Again (MEGA),\u201d\u00a0 others carrying wooden crosses and chanting \u201cChrist is king\u201d \u2014 had traveled from far and wide.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe main aspect that I\u2019m behind is to protect women and children,\u201d British-Polish teenager Amelia Stearn told AFP after flying in from Poland.<\/p>\n

\u201cIllegal immigration is really taking a toll on the country,\u201d she said of the UK.<\/p>\n

Heather Booker was among those to turn out at the combined pro-Palestine and Stand Up to Racism event.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very worrying that there\u2019s a real rise in racism and fascism in Britain and across Europe,\u201d she told AFP.<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tProtesters surround the Winston Churchill statue during the far right Unite the Kingdom march in London, May 16, 2026.(AP Photo\/Kirsty Wigglesworth)<\/p>\n

Robinson \u2014 real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon \u2014 is an anti-Islam activist whose profile has soared in recent years, in particular online.<\/p>\n

He has tapped into growing public anger over tens of thousands of migrants crossing the English Channel each year in small boats, wider immigration policies, alleged free speech curbs and other issues.<\/p>\n

Last September, he drew up to 150,000 people into central London for a similarly themed rally proclaiming \u201cnational unity, free speech and Christian values\u201d \u2014 an unprecedented turnout for an event organized by a far-right figure.<\/p>\n

X owner Elon Musk addressed that gathering via video-link. The rally shocked mainstream Britain for its scale and raw messaging, as well as clashes between some participants and police, which injured dozens of officers.<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tFar-right agitator Tommy Robinson speaks during an Unite the Kingdom rally in London, May 16, 2026. (AP Photo\/Kirsty Wigglesworth)<\/p>\n

\u2018Hatred and division\u2019<\/p>\n

The Met imposed conditions on Saturday\u2019s two rallies in a bid to keep rival attendees apart, and for the first time, organizers were made legally responsible for ensuring invited speakers did not break hate speech laws.<\/p>\n

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned Friday that \u201canyone who sets out to wreak havoc on our streets, to intimidate or threaten anyone\u2026 can expect to face the full force of the law.\u201d<\/p>\n

He accused the organizers of Robinson\u2019s rally of \u201cpeddling hatred and division.\u201d<\/p>\n

Robinson \u2014 who had urged his attendees not to wear masks or drink excessive alcohol, and to be \u201cpeaceful and courteous\u201d \u2014 told those gathered he was spearheading a \u201ccultural revolution.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leading expletive-filled chants decrying Starmer, he urged them to get involved in politics ahead of \u201cthe battle of Britain\u201d in 2029, when the next general election is due.<\/p>\n

Ahead of the rally, the government blocked 11 \u201cforeign far-right agitators\u201d from entering Britain.<\/p>\n

They included US-based \u201cextremist\u201d Valentina Gomez, who the government said is \u201cknown for using inflammatory and dehumanizing rhetoric about Muslim communities.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tA protester shows a giant key during a Pro-Palestine march in London, May 16, 2026 (AP Photo\/Thomas Krych)<\/p>\n

\u2018Unjust beyond belief\u2019<\/p>\n

Nearby, demonstrators were carrying Palestinian flags and placards, calling for an end to the conflict in Gaza.<\/p>\n

\u201cIsrael, its behavior is unjust beyond belief,\u201d protester Sharon De-Wit said. \u201cAfter the Holocaust etc, all you can do is wish the Jewish people all the best. But they won\u2019t be able to live in peace until they allow the Palestinian people to form their own state.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some protesters on Saturday chanted \u201cDeath to the IDF,\u201d referring to the Israeli army \u2013 language that police previously said had been a reason for arrests when aimed at Jewish people.<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tProtesters march during a Pro-Palestine demonstration in London, May 16, 2026.(AP Photo\/Thomas Krych)<\/p>\n

London has recently seen\u00a0a spate of arson attacks on Jewish sites, and\u00a0two Jewish men were stabbed\u00a0last month in an incident being treated as terrorism.<\/p>\n

Police said repeated large pro-Palestinian marches \u2014 33 since the Hamas-led attack on Israel in October 2023 \u2014 had left many Jewish people feeling too intimidated to enter central London, with some blaming instances of hate speech at pro-Palestinian marches for helping to fuel antisemitism.<\/p>\n

The UK\u2019s terrorism threat level was raised two weeks ago to the second-highest level of \u201csevere,\u201d with security officials citing the \u201cbroader Islamist and extreme right-wing terrorist threat.\u201d<\/p>\n


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