A crowd of 110,000 people packed central London on Saturday for a march and rally led by far-right activist Tommy Robinson, prompting a large police deployment and a counter-protest by anti-racism groups.

London police described the rally as "too big to fit into Whitehall," a street in London's government district.

The clashes erupted after some protesters were unable to access the main stage area. Officers who tried to stop them "were assaulted with kicks and punches," with bottles, flares and other projectiles thrown at them, the London Metropolitan Police posted on X.

Nine arrests have been made so far and "many more" would likely follow, it added. 

Twenty-six police officers were injured — four of them seriously hurt.

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

The rally highlighted rising anti-immigration sentiment in Britain as Reform UK leader Nigel Farage gains traction in polls and protesters target hotels housing asylum seekers. 

What happened at the rally in London?

Robinson, 42, and whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, praised the event as the country's "biggest free speech festival" and a push to "Unite the Kingdom."

Participants, many draped in English and British flags, marched over Westminster Bridge before converging near Downing Street to hear speeches from far-right figures from Europe and North America.

Attendees voiced anger over immigration and what they described as perceived restrictions on free speech.

"The silent majority will be silent no longer," Yaxley-Lennon told the crowd, calling the gathering the "spark of a cultural revolution."

Placards at the rally carried slogans such as "stop the boats," along with photos of US conservative pundit Charlie Kirk, who was shot dead earlier this week.

Metropolitan Police estimated the turnout at roughly 110,000, citing CCTV and helicopter footage.

The authorities deployed about 1,000 officers and imposed conditions on routes and timing to keep the far-right rally separate from a nearby Stand Up to Racism march, which drew around 5,000 people.

Veteran Labour MP Diane Abbott addressed the counter-protest, calling Yaxley-Lennon's message "dangerous" and urging solidarity with asylum-seekers.

Who else spoke at the far-right rally?

In a video link to the rally, US billionaire Elon Musk called for a change of government in Britain. 

"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," the X owner said.

Speakers announced for the day also included French nationalist Eric Zemmour, Canadian psychologist and activist Jordan Peterson, and Petr Bystron of Germany's AfD party. Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon was expected to address the crowd remotely.

The demonstration came just over a year after anti-immigration riots erupted in several UK cities. It also follows government moves to ban the Palestine Action group and arrest peaceful protesters, controversies that have fueled wider debates over free speech.

Yaxley-Lennon was sentenced to 18 months in prison in October 2024 for contempt of court, but was released in May this year after his sentence was cut short.

The conviction was linked to a previous case, when a Syrian refugee successfully sued him for libel in 2021 over false claims that the refugee had violently attacked young English girls.

Edited by: Darko Janjevic