More than 100,000 protesters marched through central London on Saturday, carrying flags of England and Britain, in one of the biggest right-wing demonstrations of modern times in the UK, organised by the anti-immigrant activist Tommy Robinson.
Police said Robinson’s “Unite the Kingdom” march was attended by around 110,000 people, who were kept apart from a “Stand Up to Racism” counter protest nearby attended by around 5,000.
Officers had to intervene in multiple locations to stop Unite the Kingdom protesters trying to access “sterile areas” between the two protests, breach police cordons or get to opposing groups, London’s Metropolitan Police said.
A number of officers had been assaulted and additional officers had been deployed with protective equipment, supported by police horses, the force added in a statement issued while the march was still under way.
The march brought a culmination to a highly charged summer in Britain that has seen protests staged outside hotels housing migrants.
