Tens of thousands turn out for UK far-right rally, counter protest
Why this matters: local context for readers following news across Pakistan and the region.
Tens of thousands of people rallied on Saturday in London at a march organised by far-right activist Tommy Robinson and a counter-demonstration fused with a pro-Palestinian protest, amid a huge police presence. London’s Metropolitan Police said ahead of the duelling events that it would mount one of its largest operations in recent years, as the British capital also hosts the FA Cup Final. The force was set to deploy 4,000 officers — alongside horses, dogs, drones and helicopters — to manage Robinson’s so-called ‘Unite the Kingdom’ march and the rival rally marking Nakba Day. Nakba commemorates the 1948 displacement of Palestinians during the creation of Israel. It will combine with an anti-fascism march organised by the Stand Up to Racism group. The Met police estimated 30,000 people would attend that event, setting off from west London, while 50,000 would be at the “Unite the Kingdom” march starting from Holborn in the heart of the capital. Aerial footage broadcast by UK media showed tens of thousands at Robinson’s rally — a sea of British Union Jack, English St George’s and other flags — while an AFP reporter estimated only several thousand at the counter-protest. On Whitehall, supporters of British far-right activist Tommy Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, take part in a ‘Unite The Kingdom’ march in central London, the UK on May 16, 2026. — AFP “Immigration’s the main concern,” Christine Turner, 66, from northeast England, told AFP from the Unite the Kingdom march. “We’re an island. We’ve got a clear border that they’re not protecting. Something needs to be done. It’s gone on too long.” Business owner Rikki Webster, 40, from Essex, east of London, echoed the sentiment. “Multiculturalism is fine when it doesn’t overtake your culture,” he said. “Why can’t we celebrate our culture?” Natasha, 44, was among those who had travelled in for Robinson’s rally, wearing a bucket hat in the colours of Britain’s Union Jack and draped in the flag. “It’s nice to be aro