More than 100,000 people joined a march in central London organized by far-right activist Tommy Robinson, and a counter-protest by anti-racism activists also took place, UNN reports with reference to the BBC.
Details
Protesters at the "Unite the Kingdom" rally gathered in Whitehall, where they listened to a series of speeches, including one from tech billionaire Elon Musk, via video link.
London police said nine people had been arrested for various offenses and added that there had been "significant aggression," with some officers "attacked with projectiles."
Meanwhile, London police estimated that about 5,000 people joined a counter-protest organized by "Stand Up To Racism" (SUTR) nearby.
About 1,000 police officers were deployed, and barriers were erected between the two groups to create a "sterile zone."
Law enforcement officials said they had borrowed 500 officers from other forces for the day, as well as police vans from Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Devon, and Cornwall.
Subsequently, the two demonstrations were separated on Whitehall by a line of police officers.
One side waved placards with the words "Refugees welcome. Stop the far-right," while the other group, "Unite the Kingdom," displayed Union and St. George's flags.
Police said some officers were attacked as they tried to push back the groups.
"Officers have to intervene in several places to stop 'Unite the Kingdom' protesters trying to break through police lines or reach opposing groups," police said on X.