'Unite the Kingdom' Rally: UK PM Keir Starmer Endorses 'Peaceful Protest,' Warns Against Attacks on Police Officers

United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Sunday warned participants of the anti-immigration march in London against assaulting on-duty police officers, while endorsing "peaceful protest."

Taking to X, Starmer said that his government will not tolerate attacks on police officers or intimidation of ordinary people by protesters.

"People have a right to peaceful protest. It is core to our country’s values. But we will not stand for assaults on police officers doing their jobs or for people feeling intimidated on our streets because of their background or the colour of their skin," Starmer wrote in his X post.

"Britain is a nation proudly built on tolerance, diversity, and respect. Our flag represents our diverse country, and we will never surrender it to those who use it as a symbol of violence, fear, and division," the prime minister's X post added.

About the Anti-Immigration Protests

Over 110,000 people protesting against immigration marched through the United Kingdom's capital, London, in one of the country's largest right-wing demonstrations, with some protesters clashing with police and wounding at least 26 officers.

The violence at the "Unite the Kingdom" march on Saturday occurred as police tried to keep the right-wing protesters apart from a group of approximately 5,000 counter-demonstrators gathered at Whitehall in central London.

London's Metropolitan Police said the march, organized by anti-immigrant activist Tommy Robinson, drew an estimated 110,000 to 150,000 people, far surpassing expectations.

Assault on Police Officials

The police force reported that its officers faced "unacceptable violence" from some protesters, with four officers sustaining serious injuries, including broken teeth, a possible broken nose, a concussion, a prolapsed disc, and a head injury.

"There is no doubt that many came to exercise their lawful right to protest, but there were many who came intent on violence," Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said in a statement, as reported by Al Jazeera.

"They confronted officers, engaging in physical and verbal abuse and making a determined effort to breach cordons in place to keep everyone safe," Twist added.

At least 25 people were arrested over the violence, Twist said, describing the detentions as "just the start," according to Al Jazeera.

"We are identifying those who were involved in the disorder, and they can expect to face robust police action in the coming days and weeks," he added, as per Al Jazeera.

UK Secretary of State for the Home Department Shabana Mahmood also condemned "those who have attacked and injured police officers" and insisted that "anyone taking part in criminal activity will face the full force of the law," according to Al Jazeera.

About Tommy Robinson's ‘Unite the Kingdom’ March

Tommy Robinson's latest "Unite the Kingdom" march comes at the end of a highly charged summer in the UK, which saw several protests staged outside hotels housing asylum seekers in England, following the arrest of an Ethiopian man who was later convicted of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in a London suburb, as reported by Al Jazeera.

Demonstrators carried the Union Flag of the UK and the red and white St George's Cross of England, while others displayed flags of the United States and Israel. Some wore "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) hats associated with US President Donald Trump.

They chanted slogans critical of Prime Minister Keir Starmer and carried placards, with some reading, "Send them home.

"Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon and who is known for his anti-immigrant and anti-Islam views, called the march "a show of patriotic unity like nothing seen before," according to Al Jazeera.

"Today is the spark of a cultural revolution in Great Britain. This is our moment," the 42-year-old activist told his supporters.

He billed the march as a demonstration for free speech, British heritage, and culture, and energized the crowd with claims that migrants now have more rights in court than the "British public, the people who built this nation."

Participation of Elon Musk in the Rally

Other speakers at Robinson's event included US billionaire Elon Musk, who joined via video link, French far-right politician Eric Zemmour, and Petr Bystron of the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, as reported by Al Jazeera.

"There's something beautiful about being British, and what I see happening here is a destruction of Britain, initially a slow erosion, but rapidly increasing erosion of Britain with massive uncontrolled migration," Musk said, calling for a change of government in the UK.

(With inputs from agencies)

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