LONDON: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has condemned Saturday’s “Unite the Kingdom” demonstration in central London, saying it has left people feeling “more scared than they were before” — in reference to how threats were made to Muslims and other ethnic minorities and religions by the far-right speakers.
Between 110,000 and 150,000 people turned out for Saturday’s protest organised by far-right activist Tommy Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon. Some 26 police officers were injured, including four who were seriously hurt, and 24 people were arrested for a range of offences including affray, violent disorder, assault and criminal damage. Speeches were made openly against Muslims, Islam and migrant communities, inciting violence against them.
In an interview with Channel 4 News, the Prime Minister described the demonstration as “plastic patriotism”, adding that it had been more than “just very bad behaviour”.
He said: “It sent a shiver through so many of our communities who now feel more scared than they did before. I understand that.”
In his Channel 4 interview, Sir Keir sought to associate Saturday’s events with Reform UK, saying he was “absolutely determined to lead in this fight of our times between renewal, the patriotic cause of the Labour Party, and the division and toxic chaos and decline that would come under Reform”.
Earlier on Monday, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage had condemned the violence used against police on Saturday, saying it was “horrible” and he “feared something like that would happen”.
But he told a press conference in London he thought “the vast majority of people that turned up were good, ordinary decent people who are very, very concerned about what’s happening in this country”.
Asked whether he was concerned about ethnic minority Britons who had felt scared to go into central London during the demonstration, he added: “If some people were offended by it, or felt worried by it, then that is a great shame. I’ll tell you what’s even worse, the fact that over 50% of women don’t feel safe walking the streets alone.”
PM slams Musk
PM Starmer’s office had earlier condemned as “dangerous and inflammatory” comments by billionaire Elon Musk, in which he urged demonstrators at the rally in London to “fight back” or “die”.
The American owner of Tesla and X also called for an urgent change in government in the UK and told the crowd that “violence is coming”, in his guest appearance at the protest on Saturday.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said Mr Musk’s words threatened “violence and intimidation on our streets”, adding: “I don’t think the British public will have any truck with that kind of language.”
Meanwhile, eight people have been charged after disorder broke out during protests in central London at the weekend. The Metropolitan Police said there were several incidents of violent disorder, the majority of which were linked to the Unite the Kingdom event.
They included three men who appeared in court on Monday: Richard Hamilton, 42, of Braeside Place, Glasgow, was charged with assault on an emergency worker and was remanded in custody at Westminster Magistrates’ Court; Matthew Wilkins, 55, of Villa Gardens, Waterlooville, Hampshire, was charged with breaching Section 14 of the Public Order Act and disrupting a person engaged in lawful activity and was remanded in custody; Jamie Brewer, 35, of Choat Place, Chelmsford, Essex, appeared at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court charged with actual bodily harm against a police officer; Lewis Siverns, 33, of Farmer Way, Sandwell, West Midlands, was charged with assault on an emergency worker and bailed to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday October 1; Aaron Wren, 36, of Kingswear Garden, Rochester, Kent, was charged under Section 4A of the Public Order Act and bailed to appear at Highbury Magistrates’ Court on Monday September 29; James Moore, 50, of Pulchrass Street, Barnstaple, Devon, was charged with common assault on a police officer and was bailed to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday October 13; Paul Newman, 56, of Park Road East, Uxbridge, west London, was charged with breach of a dispersal order and bail conditions not to enter the Borough of Westminster and was bailed to appear at the same court on the same day; and Norman Richards, 58, of Buckles Lane, Thurrock, Essex, was charged with assault on a police officer and was bailed to appear at Bromley Magistrates’ Court on Monday October 13.
The Met has also issued photos of 11 people whom officers are trying to trace in relation to the disorder. Officers want to speak to them in relation to a range of public order offences and assaults on emergency services workers, the force said.
