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Over 100,000 people showed up to the Unite the Kingdom rally in London over the weekend. Some estimate that the number was far larger. The rally was organized to oppose immigration, call for stronger border controls, and promote free speech and national unity.
It was mostly peaceful but police say that there were dozens of police officers harmed and at least 25 arrests.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the country “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 colour of their skin. Britain is a nation proudly built on tolerance, diversity and respect. Our flag represents our diverse country and we will never surrender it to those that use it as a symbol of violence, fear and division.”
Some say that the violence stemmed from police directing the crowds into counter-protests where Antifa protestors were chanting “Charlie’s in a box,” to celebrate the murder of conservative Charlie Kirk.
Put in perspective, 25 arrests is a remarkably low figure for a crowd this large. By comparison, there were nearly 900 arrests at a Palestine Action protest just weeks ago and almost 500 at last month’s Notting Hill Carnival — neither of which drew anywhere near 100,000 people. The Prime Minister did not take to X to condemn those events.
Yet the government leans on labels like “far-right” and “violence” to sidestep the substance of what was on display: a potent populist movement demanding to be heard.