The Unite the Kingdom rally organised by far-right British activist Tommy Robinson in central London on Saturday was characterised by a series of Islamophobic speeches, sparking widespread reactions on social media.
Police estimates suggested a turnout of 60,000 for the march, significantly less than the 150,000 that turned out for Robinson’s previous march in September.
At the same time on Saturday, pro-Palestine organisers held the annual Nakba Day protest elsewhere in London, which was organised to commemorate the 78th anniversary of the forced expulsion of 750,000 Palestinians as Zionist militias occupied the land to make way for the state of Israel.
More than 4,000 police were deployed across London to manage the far-right rally, the Nakba Day protest and the FA Cup Final between Manchester City and Chelsea.
The Metropolitan police confirmed a total of 43 arrests across both protests, with 20 arrested at the Unite the Kingdom rally, including for public order offences, drunk and disorderly behaviour, criminal damage and possession of an offensive weapon.
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Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, kicked off the speeches by emphasising the importance of political organising and encouraged the audience members to ensure they register to vote.
Asking his supporters if they were “ready for the battle of Britain”, he warned that unless more people become “activists”, then “we are going to lose our country forever”.
In an interview after the event with pro-Israel influencer Weronika Rogowska, he said if he were to take a position of power in government, he would “stop Islam” and called for “many Muslims to leave this country”.
Other speakers included the Collectif Nemesis, a French right-wing feminist movement that denounces “the impact of immigration and Islam” in Europe.
In widely circulated footage of the event, a trio of young women representing the group, including its founder and leader Alice Cordier, entered the stage dressed as fully-covered Muslim women.
Urging the audience to boo, they then encouraged them to chant “take it off,” before removing their coverings and revealing different outfits underneath.
The stunt was widely criticised on X.
Several users pointed out the lack of response from the UK government, with one tagging Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood saying: “You are happy to call the pro-Palestine marches ‘hate marches’, but have you described this as hate?”
They added: “This is sexualisation & dehumanisation of Muslim women.”
“We ask a simple question of the authorities, political leaders, and broadcasters: why is this rhetoric tolerated and even defended when it comes to Muslims, when the equivalent, directed at any other group, would rightly be met with prosecution, condemnation, and unequivocal political consequence?” asked the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) in a statement condemning the rally.
The MCB also called on the government to “investigate these statements as clear speeches inciting hatred”.
‘Islamophobia is socially accepted’
A Muslim woman took to X to decry the “sickening behaviour,” adding that “as Muslims, we shouldn’t have to tolerate this in our home…… England”.
Alonso Gurmendi, fellow in human rights at the London School of Economics, said that an act like this “puts Muslim women at risk”.
Another speaker who drew a strong reaction on social media was Kellie Jay Keen, an anti-transgender activist, who used her stage time to make several remarks about the “need to remove Islam from every single place of authority” in order to “save this country”.
Whilst the Metropolitan police said that the protests were largely peaceful, they confirmed an incident that occurred several weeks ago involving a Muslim police officer being racially abused.
Sharing footage of other incidents of racial abuse directed against officers that occurred during the UTK rally on Saturday, they said “yesterday we saw more of the same”.
In the build-up to the rally, Prime Minister Keir Starmer prevented 11 far-right figures who were planning to attend from entering the country, including Colombian-American anti-Islam campaigner Valentina Gomez.
The UK government has yet to comment on the nature of the speeches at the rally. MEE reached out to the Home Office and Mahmood for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
Landing photo: British far-right activist Tommy Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, at the Unite the Kingdom rally in London on Saturday 16 May 2026 (Toby Shepheard/AFP)
