• Over 100,000 attended the "Unite the Kingdom" rally, organized by far-right activist Tommy Robinson.
• The rally faced significant policing, with 1,600 officers deployed, and resulted in multiple arrests and injuries.
• Clashes broke out as attendees attempted to breach barriers meant to separate them from counter-protesters.
• Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the violence and asserted the importance of peaceful protest in a diverse nation.
• The event highlighted rising anti-immigration sentiments amid record levels of asylum seekers arriving in the UK.

More than 100,000 demonstrators gathered in central London on Saturday for the "Unite the Kingdom" rally organized by far-right activist Tommy Robinson. Reports estimate attendance as high as 150,000, with protesters carrying the Union Jack and St. George's Cross, chanting slogans like "send them home" and "stop the boats," reflecting growing anti-immigrant sentiment in the UK, as reported by BBC, Reuters, and CBS News.

The Metropolitan Police prepared for significant turnout, deploying over 1,600 officers to manage the rally and a smaller counter-protest organized by Stand Up To Racism, which attracted about 5,000 participants. Clashes ensued when some attendees sought to breach police cordons, with at least 26 officers injured during these scuffles, according to Reuters, Reuters, and LA Times.

At the rally, Robinson framed the gathering as a defense of free speech, while speakers from various far-right movements claimed that Britain was facing an invasion due to unchecked immigration. Elon Musk made a video appearance, calling for urgent political change in the UK and emphasizing perceived threats to British culture, as noted by Newsweek and India Times.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer later condemned the violence, reinforcing the need for public safety and tolerance, stating that no one should feel intimidated based on background or skin color in a diverse nation, according to BBC and Reuters. He vowed that racial intimidation would not be tolerated, reinforcing Britain’s values of tolerance and diversity.

The rally occurred against a backdrop of rising anti-immigration sentiment and a record number of asylum claims, with over 28,000 migrants arriving in small boats this year alone. As tensions in the UK escalate, the event has been viewed as both a show of national pride and a concerning rise in populist sentiment, highlighted by India Times and India Times.