Far-right activists clashed with law enforcement at the Unite the Kingdom gathering led by Tommy Robinson in central London.
The Metropolitan Police had a significant presence to maintain order as the rally attendees and anti-fascist demonstrators converged near Whitehall. Approximately 1,000 officers were on duty to prevent confrontations between the two groups.
Authorities reported that they had to intervene at multiple points in Whitehall to prevent Unite the Kingdom supporters from breaching police lines or reaching the counter protesters. Some officers were assaulted during the incidents.
According to the Met, officers encountered projectiles and had to use force to protect their positions from being overrun. Images from the rally depicted a man with injuries confronting police and being restrained.
Videos shared by the police showed clashes between Unite the Kingdom supporters and officers in Whitehall, including instances of projectiles being thrown at the police, who used shields to push back the demonstrators.
The police later stated that access to certain areas of the rally was restricted and were collaborating with organizers to facilitate crowd dispersal.
Although event organizers claimed over a million attendees, the Metropolitan Police estimated the actual crowd size at around 110,000 people. Many participants were seen waving English, British, and Israeli flags during the event.
The rally participants marched from the south bank to Whitehall, where prominent figures like Tommy Robinson and actor-turned-activist Laurence Fox were present.
Robinson asserted during the demonstration that patriotism and borders are integral to the future. He also declared the event to be the largest in UK history, claiming a turnout of three million attendees.
While the exact attendance figures remain uncertain, the largest protest in UK history was the 2003 Stop the War demonstration against the Iraq war, which drew between 750,000 and over a million protesters, with some estimates reaching two million.
Injuries were reported among some individuals during the event, with police and demonstrators engaging in altercations. The demonstrators in Whitehall expressed opposition to mass migration, while law enforcement worked to prevent clashes between the opposing groups.