London, Britain – Tension gripped London this Saturday (September 13) as one of the largest right-wing demonstrations in recent history filled the streets with more than one hundred thousand anti-immigration protesters.
According to London’s Metropolitan Police, attendance was estimated between 110,000 up to 150,000 people.
The rally, branded as the “Unite the Kingdom” march, saw demonstrators carrying British and English flags, chanting nationalist slogans and demanding tighter immigration controls.
The event was led by far-right figure Tommy Robinson.
It began along the Thames River and stretched into Westminster, near the UK Parliament.
Reuters said the protest was driven by concerns over rising immigration, pointing to migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats.
This year alone, more than twenty-eight thousand (28,000) asylum seekers have entered the UK across the Channel.
It also overshadows economic concerns.
Authorities deployed more than sixteen hundred officers to control the crowds, but clashes still broke out.
At least twenty-six police officers were injured, while twenty-five people were arrested, the Metro Police stated.
The rally was also joined by a counter-protest, where about 5,000 anti-racism campaigners gathered under the banner, “Stand Up to Racism.”