Several officers were assaulted, punched, kicked, and hit by bottles thrown by individuals at the periphery of the “Unite the Kingdom” rally on Saturday (local time – overnight Australian time), according to the Metropolitan Police. Additional officers equipped with helmets and riot shields were sent to assist the more than 1000 officers present.

Twenty-six police officers suffered injuries — four of whom were seriously injured, with incidents like broken teeth, a concussion, a likely broken nose, and a spinal injury. At least 25 individuals were detained for offenses such as violent disorder, assaults, and criminal damage, with ongoing investigations, police reported.

Crowd covered blocks of London

The crowd at one stage stretched from Big Ben over the River Thames and around the corner past Waterloo train station, spanning about a kilometer.

Mostly peaceful throughout, the marches saw escalation late in the afternoon when “Unite the Kingdom” supporters hurled objects at a rival rally and attempted to breach barriers separating the groups, police noted. Officers had to utilize force to prevent a crowd-control fence from being overrun.

Counterprotesters heckled a man with blood streaming down his face as he was escorted by police from Robinson’s supporter group. It was not immediately clear what had occurred to him.

While the crowd was large, it fell far short of one of the biggest recent marches when a pro-Palestinian rally drew an estimated 300,000 people in November 2023.

Robinson had planned a “Unite the Kingdom” rally last October, but couldn’t attend after being jailed for contempt of court for violating a 2021 High Court order barring him from repeating libellous allegations against a Syrian refugee who successfully sued him. He previously served jail time for assault and mortgage fraud.