LONDON — Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed Sunday that Britain would not allow people to feel threatened “because of their background or the color of their skin,” following a massive far-right rally in London that erupted into violent clashes with police.
The protest, organized by far-right activist Tommy Robinson, drew up to 150,000 participants, according to police estimates — making it one of the largest far-right gatherings in Britain’s history. Clashes left 26 officers injured, four seriously, and at least 24 people arrested. The Metropolitan Police said more arrests are expected as investigators review footage from the event.
“People have a right to peaceful protest. It is core to our country’s values,” Starmer wrote on X. “But we will not stand for assaults on police officers doing their job, or for people feeling intimidated on our streets because of their background or the color of their skin.”
Starmer, whose Labour government was the target of repeated criticism during the rally, added that Britain’s flag “represents our diverse country and we will never surrender it to those who use it as a symbol of violence, fear, and division.”
According to police, alleged offenses ranged from assault and criminal damage to possession of offensive weapons. Officers said they were “assaulted with kicks and punches” while “bottles, flares, and other projectiles” were hurled.
The violence flared as some protesters tried to push into sealed-off areas near a counter-demonstration led by the anti-racism coalition Stand Up to Racism.
The event featured speeches by far-right figures from across Europe and North America. Among them was billionaire Elon Musk, who appeared by video, calling for the dissolution of Britain’s parliament and warning the crowd that “violence is coming to you. You either fight back or you die.”
The anti-racism group Hope Not Hate described the rally as unprecedented in size, warning it marked a dangerous normalization of anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim sentiment. “For anyone worried about the rise of far-right activism… it could be a sign of dark times to come,” the group said.
