Sir Keir Starmer has rejected the flag being used as a symbol of “violence, fear and division” after up to 150,000 people turned up to a “Unite the Kingdom” protest organised by Tommy Robinson.
The Prime Minister has insisted the Government “will not stand” for assaults on police officers after 26 were injured, including four who were seriously hurt, at the far-right activist’s event in London on Saturday.
Between 110,000 and 150,000 people turned out for the protest, significantly exceeding the estimates of organisers, while around 5,000 Stand Up To Racism campaigners took part in a counter protest.
People have a right to peaceful protest. It is core to our country’s values.
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) September 14, 2025
But we will not stand for assaults on police officers doing their job or for people feeling intimidated on our streets because of their background or the colour of their skin.
Britain is a nation…
The Prime Minister posted on X: “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 job or for people feeling intimidated on our streets because of their background or the colour of their skin.
“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 that use it as a symbol of violence, fear and division.”
Twenty-four people were arrested for a range of offences including affray, violent disorder, assault and criminal damage following the march.
The Met Police said bottles and flares had been thrown at officers, who were also punched and kicked by protesters.
Dozens of officers were injured during the protest. Scotland Yard said the injuries included broken teeth, a possible broken nose, a concussion, a prolapsed disc and a head injury, during a “very challenging day” for the force.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood quickly condemned the violent scenes once the protest had finished on Saturday and vowed that anyone “taking part in criminal activity will face the full force of the law”.
A Cabinet minister said the protest was a “klaxon call” for MPs to address immigration and other public concerns.
Business Secretary Peter Kyle said the Government is determined to “start to bring communities back together again” in light of the fractious scenes, but he conceded so far it is “something that we have not solved”.
“There are communities that are being driven further apart, and there are figures such as Tommy Robinson that is able to touch into a sense of disquiet and grievance in the community in our society.
“A lot of it goes back to its roots in the financial crisis and the impact that had on communities around the country, and we haven’t been able to bring our communities back together again since.
“I think these are moments that are klaxon calls to us in public life to redouble our efforts to address the big concerns that people right across our country have, and immigration is a big concern,” he told BBC’s Sunday Morning With Laura Kuenssberg.
The protest featured a guest appearance from Tesla and X owner Elon Musk, who called for an urgent change in government in the UK and told protesters to “fight back” or “die”.
Mr Kyle described the tech billionaire’s comments as “slightly incomprehensible” and “totally inappropriate”.
He added: “But what we saw yesterday was over 100,000 people who were expressing freedom of association, freedom of speech, and proving that both of those things are alive and well in this country.”
