LONDON
At least nine people were arrested after far-right protesters in an anti-immigrant rally clashed with police in London.
Over 100,000 people attended the rally, led by British far-right figure Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson, while a counter-protest by Stand Up To Racism also took place in Whitehall, central London, where nine protesters were arrested as of 6 pm local time (1700GMT), according to the Metropolitan Police.
The Unite the Kingdom rally, organized by Robinson, started from Stamford Street to Whitehall, while Stand Up To Racism protesters gathered in Russell Square and then marched towards Whitehall.
According to a statement by the police, more than 1,600 officers have been deployed as part of the overall public order policing operation, including 500 brought in from other forces.
It added that around 1,000 officers are responsible for ensuring that two demonstrations in central London take place safely.
Despite intense police presence, many Unite the Kingdom protesters went off their designated routes and clashed with the police officers in an attempt to break through the barricades.
The Metropolitan Police said nine people had been arrested for various offenses and added there had been “significant aggression,” with some officers being “attacked with projectiles.”
According to police figures, more than 100,000 people joined the far-right march, while some 5,000 demonstrators attended the Stand Up To Racism rally.
Carrying Union and St. George’s flags, many protesters shouted slogans against Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the Metropolitan Police.
Some protesters were also seen waving Israeli flags.
Anti-racism protesters, meanwhile, carried signs, some of them reading: “Refugees welcome” and “Stop the far right.”
Meanwhile, US billionaire Elon Musk addressed the Unite the Kingdom rally via videolink, calling for a “change of government.”
“You can’t; we don’t have another four years, or whenever the next election is; it’s too long,” he told the crowd.
Criticizing the British government for a “rapidly increasing erosion of Britain,” Musk added: “Something’s got to be done. There’s got to be a dissolution of Parliament and a new vote held.”
