london —
When around 150,000 people flocked to London in September to take part in a rally organized by Tommy Robinson, a provocateur of anti-Muslim bigotry with several convictions, it felt like a watershed moment in British politics.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said at the time: “Something has changed in our country.” “This felt different.”
So when at least tens of thousands of people gathered again in the British capital on Saturday for the latest “Unite the Kingdom” march, it didn’t feel all that unusual. Views that were once not expressed in public are becoming commonplace. The marches, organized by Robinson (real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon), are becoming a regular activity for them.
“Millions of people have to leave,” said Pete, 64, from Derbyshire in central England. He was referring to illegal immigration. “They shouldn’t be in this country,” he told CNN. “They are claiming benefits. ‘Benefits UK’ must end.”
There was a militant atmosphere at the large rally in September. “Violence will come to you whether you choose it or not,” Elon Musk told the crowd via video link. “Either fight back or die.”
Early estimates suggest Saturday’s march will be small and not attract similar high-profile foreign guests. But Robinson’s message was equally combative. “Are you ready for the Battle of Britain?” he asked his supporters packed into Parliament Square. Ahead of the next general election, he said unless his supporters “get involved” and “become activists” “we will lose our country forever”.
The next general election isn’t due until 2029, but a frenetic week in Westminster, where Prime Minister Keir Starmer has struggled to contain a revolt by Labor MPs, has many in Britain wondering whether Starmer’s government will last that long. The Labor Party’s unrest has injected new energy into Britain’s increasingly organized far-right movement.
Ahead of the march, Mr Starmer said he supported peaceful protests, but accused organizers of spreading “hate and division” and said the government had blocked visas for far-right activists seeking to come to Britain to spread extremist views. “They do not represent the decent, fair and respectful Britain that I know,” Starmer said.
It feels like that vision for Britain is in retreat. “Kingdom Unity” is not affiliated with any political party, but has attracted supporters from several political parties. Many marchers wore turquoise, the color of the far-right Reform Britain party led by Nigel Farage, the Brexit chief and ally of US President Donald Trump. Last week’s local elections gave a boost to the reform movement, leaving Starmer’s Labor Party, which had positioned itself as Britain’s biggest defense against populism, in trouble.
But for many demonstrators, Mr Farage’s party has not gone far enough. Analysts attribute the Reformers’ recent electoral success to how Mr Farage has softened the party’s rhetoric and policies. Mr Farage claims he has “professionalized” the party, including bringing in several high-profile figures from the previous Conservative government.
For Peet, from Derbyshire, this reduced the appeal of reform. Instead, many marchers waved “Take Back Britain” flags in support of the far-right party led by Rupert Lowe, who was expelled from the Reform Party last year over allegations of workplace bullying. Mr Lowe has been publicly backed by Mr Musk as the man who can “save Britain”, but claims he was forced out because he posed a threat to Mr Farage’s leadership of the party. Restore Britain supports mass deportations and aims to create a “hostile environment” in the UK that encourages illegal immigrants to leave the country.
The Metropolitan Police said it had launched a “major” security operation on Saturday over concerns that the Kingdom Unity March could clash with pro-Palestinian demonstrations elsewhere in the city. The Metropolitan District later announced the arrest of 11 people for various crimes.
CNN did not confirm any incidents of violence, but the language remained accused of violence. One speaker praised the crowd for “defending their (Christian) faith in their own land.” He said Britain’s soil was “soaked with the blood of Christian men and women” and praised previous generations who fought the Nazis “in the fields of this country”. (Britain was last invaded in 1797 by troops from France, another Christian nation.)
It was not entirely clear what the protesters wanted other than to somehow restore Britain’s lost “greatness”. Standing proudly in a tailored three-piece suit under a bowler hat, Tom, 19, couldn’t say when Britain was last great, but said the 1930s were his “favorite era”. Although he did not name any political heroes, Mr. Lowe said they “stand up well for the people” through their support for mass deportations. “He’s not an extremist,” he insisted.
As with all movements of this size, it can be soupy. People carrying Israeli flags marched alongside people holding placards defaming Israel. In addition to those calling for mass deportations, one woman waved a Danish flag and said she wanted Britain to adopt Denmark’s stricter but more mainstream immigration laws.
Dozens of people waved the Iranian royal family’s “Lion and Sun” flag in support of exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi. Many Iranians want him to lead their homeland if the Islamic regime falls. Hossein Harney, a marcher in his 50s, told CNN he joined the demonstration because he was angry that Starmer did not take part in the US and Israeli attack on Iran on February 28. The attack led many Iranian exiles to expect regime change.
However, a common theme was a desire for stronger leadership in Britain. Many of the marchers said they had voted to leave the EU in 2016, motivated by Brexiteers’ vague promise to “take back control”. In many ways, Saturday’s march felt like a renewed cry for that promise to be fulfilled, for some force to take back British control and put a stamp on its authority.
When asked which British politician was the last British politician he was influenced by, Pete said he would choose Margaret Thatcher. This is despite the fact that Thatcher’s Conservative government closed down the mines where she worked decades ago. “I didn’t like her, but she had a backbone,” Pete said. “Sure, she took my job, but she was strong. She wasn’t going to be bullied by Europe, and she didn’t want open borders.”
