Tommy
Robinson tells tens of thousands at London rally to prepare for ‘battle of
Britain’
Turnout
down at second ‘unite the kingdom’ march featuring Islamophobic and
ethnonationalist hate speech and flyers
Geraldine
McKelvie
Sat 16
May 2026 19.21 BST
Robinson,
whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, drew tens of thousands of supporters
on to the streets of central London for the second year running in an event
where Islamophobic and ethnonationalist hate speech and flyers were distributed
to the crowds.
Organisers
claimed that millions had attended his “unite the kingdom” march, but police
estimated the number of demonstrators to be far lower, at about 60,000. Last
September’s march was attended by 150,000 people.
Robinson,
who gained prominence as the founder of the anti-Islam English Defence League,
told crowds gathered in Parliament Square that the rally was “a turning point
for Britain”.
He
encouraged his supporters to move beyond street protest and “fighting” and
become involved in local politics before the next general election.
The
campaign group Hope Not Hate said that although the march appeared to have
attracted fewer demonstrators than the previous rally, the scale of Robinson’s
movement remained “deeply worrying”.
It added:
“Today’s numbers still dwarf anything ever managed by the English Defence
League and hundreds of thousands more watched the livestream online. While it
looks like the movement’s growth may have stalled, it still remains a
significant threat.”
The
Metropolitan police said it had spent £4.5m policing the march and a separate
pro-Palestinian demonstration which ended in Waterloo. There were about 4,000
officers on duty. Armoured vehicles, dogs, drones and helicopters were also
deployed throughout the afternoon.
The force
said that, as of 7.30pm, it had made 43 arrests across both events. It said it
would “provide a more detailed breakdown” when the marches had concluded.
A
spokesperson added: “While this may seem high, to this point both protests have
proceeded largely without significant incident.”
Two men
were arrested near Euston station after arriving in London to attend the Unite
the Kingdom rally. One was wanted on suspicion of grievous bodily harm after an
incident in Birmingham where a man was run over. The second was arrested in
connection with a separate offence, which involved encouraging people to attack
a police officer.
The
protests had a significant Christian theme with many protesters who marched to
Parliament Square carrying wooden crosses and chanting “Christ is king” as they
waited for the march to begin. Others wore red “make England great again” hats.
Addressing
the crowd, Robinson said: “Are you ready for the battle of Britain? 2029 we
have an election. We’re not asking anyone to go out and fight, but this is the
most important moment in our generation.
“If we
don’t send a message in our next election, if you don’t register to vote, if
you don’t get involved, if you don’t become activists, we are going to lose our
country for ever.
“We have
to get political, we have to get involved. I’m not going to tell you which
political party you need to join. We’re a cultural movement. I’m going to tell
you that you have to join a political party. I don’t care if it’s Reform, if
it’s Advance, or it’s Restore, or it’s the Conservative party. We have to
locally get involved in politics.”
Robinson
also led chants of support for the X owner, Elon Musk, one of his best-known
supporters. He said: “None of this would have happened if it wasn’t for one
man. Thank you Elon on behalf of Great Britain.”
The rally
was also addressed by Siobhan Whyte, whose daughter Rhiannon was murdered by
the Sudanese asylum seeker Deng Majek during an attack at the hotel where she
worked in Walsall, West Midlands, in 2024. Majek was jailed for life in
January.
Whyte
said: “Keir Starmer, where do I even begin to discuss this abhorrent excuse of
a leader of our country? He has failed us. He has failed my daughter Rhiannon.
I believe she [would] still be alive today if this disgusting excuse of a man
had not been in control.”
The
Polish politician Dominik Tarczyński, who claimed to have been banned from
entering the UK by Starmer before the rally, addressed the crowds via video
link. He said: “He could ban me. He will not cancel you. And believe me, there
will be a day I will be back.”
The
government is understood to have blocked 11 foreign nationals – described by
Starmer as “far-right agitators” – from entering the UK before the rally.
Katie
Hopkins, the former Apprentice contestant turned far-right commentator, also
sent a video message to the demonstrators. She said: “I want to thank you all
for being at the ‘unite the kingdom’ rally today. Whether you’re here in London
or joining us from overseas, welcome to Great Britain.
“I want
to say a few things to you, if I may. I see you, and I see our capital city,
and it looks for the first time in a very long time like the place that I
remember, and our capital city and a place that we can all call home, and I’m
so proud of you.”
Some
demonstrators distributed flyers saying they wanted to secure “a future for
white people”. The leaflet said: “In a country saturated with degenerates,
grifters and imported political enemies … We are a brotherhood of White
Europeans who share the same values.” It added that anyone could join their
“vanguard” and they could remain anonymous.
Sadiq
Khan, the mayor of London, said on social media: “Thank you to our dedicated
Metropolitan Police officers, security services and transport staff, who have
worked to keep our capital safe and moving this weekend while protecting the
right to protest peacefully.
“Over 30
arrests have been made so far, and the police have set out that both protests
have proceeded largely without significant incident.
“As
always, the Met will remain vigilant throughout the weekend, and anyone who
experiences hate crime should report it. Londoners will always reject those who
seek to divide our communities.”
Writing
on X on Saturday, the justice secretary, David Lammy, said: “The Unite the
Kingdom march organisers are spreading hatred and division. They do not reflect
the Britain I’m proud of.
“Peaceful
protest is a fundamental right and one I will always protect. But if protest
turns violent, we will act swiftly, with extra court capacity in place.”
The
campaign group Led by Donkeys said it put up a giant screen at the rally which
played a video with the slogan: “Immigration makes Britain brilliant.”
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