Thousands gather for anti far-right march in London

Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in central London on Saturday for an anti far-right march organised by Together Alliance.

Crowds took to the capital's streets from 13:00 GMT, with placards displaying messages including "fight ignorance not immigrants" and "reject racist lies" visible.

High-profile figures had backed the protest, including Sir Lenny Henry and Paloma Faith, while singer Billy Bragg was expected to attend and Leigh-Anne Pinnock was set to perform at a music event in Trafalgar Square.

Organisers of Saturday's march said as many as 500,000 people had attended, although the Metropolitan Police estimated the figure to be closer to 50,000, adding precise figures were hard to determine due to the spread of the crowds.

The Met said two protesters were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and causing a public nuisance after allegedly attempting to climb pillars near Trafalgar Square.

At just after 17:00, which police had earlier imposed as the time the demonstration could not continue beyond, they said Whitehall was starting to clear, adding that five further arrests had been made during the day.

Officers had also earlier intervened to prevent a breach of the peace after a group of counter-protesters appeared on Pall Mall on the route of the main march.

The Together Alliance protest was due to be joined on its route by a separate march organised by the Palestine Coalition before both groups converged at Whitehall, where a video message from London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan and speeches, including by Green Party leader Zack Polanski, were expected to be heard.

Several other politicians were also in attendance, including Your Party MP Jeremy Corbyn and Labour's Diane Abbott.

The protesters waved banners including from unions representing teachers, public service workers and fire brigades as they walked through the streets.

Many signs were emblazoned with pro-immigration messages from a variety of causes from all corners of the UK, including a group marching behind a banner that read "Whitstable Women in Sisterly Solidarity".

Among those attending was Steve Tribble, who travelled from Stroud with what he described as a "radical left-wing band" of musicians. He said he felt compelled to join the demonstration because of growing concerns about the far-right.

"I understand that populism is spreading all over the world and that people are trying to look for scapegoats, they're angry," he said. "But we're worried, that's why we're here."

Another in attendance was Salvinder Dhillon. He said he believed the number of those in attendance would "more than match" last year's Unite the Kingdom rally but, even if they did not, it would not matter.

He told the BBC: "What we have, they don't have. We have the unity of the people, the fighting spirit of the people, and we're going to win."

Sabby Dhalu, joint secretary of Together Alliance, said the UK was seeing an "unprecedented growth" in support for far-right organisations and described the Unite the Kingdom demonstration as the "biggest far-right mobilisation in British history".

She added: "We believe that the majority of British people stand against the hatred and division and racism that was being encouraged at that demonstration and by these types of organisations, and it's time to act."

In September 2025, between 110,000 and 150,000 people turned out for the London rally organised by Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon.

Several arrests were made after tensions flared as some protesters threw bottles and other projectiles at police, with some officers injured, the Met said at the time.

Tech billionaire Elon Musk addressed crowds via video link, while some 5,000 people joined a nearby counter-protest organised by Stand Up To Racism.

According to its website, Together Alliance is a group of civil society organisations including trade unionists and faith groups united against the far-right that represents more than seven million people.

Additional reporting by Vinnie O'Dowd.