The March of the Brits: Over 110,000 People March in London’s “Unite the Kingdom” anti-immigration March to Protest the UK’s Immigration Laws and Labour Government

By Jacob Kehoe

Over the weekend, Central London hosted an enormous anti-immigration protest. The “Unite the Kingdom” protest was one of the largest right-wing protests in modern British history. Estimates suggest that 110,000 to 150,000people attended the rally in order to express their frustrations with the current immigration laws under the relatively new Labour government. The protest was organized by right-wing activist Tommy Robinson, an anti-Islam and former British National Party member. Robinson has hosted many similar right-wing protests in the UK, but nothing as large as this past one. The massive rally was not without its pitfalls, as 25 people were arrested, and 26 police officers were injured in clashes with the protesters.  A smaller “Stand up to Racism” counter protest of about 5,000 people was also going on at the same time.

London was engulfed in Union Jacks as the many patriotic protesters displayed their national flag proudly. The rally had a very ominous, nationalistic, and patriotic feeling to it as the thousands of Englishmen marched in the capital city. Elon Musk even made an appearance, cheering the protester on from a video screen and promoting even more protests against the current Labour government. Along with the encouragement given by Elon, many of the protesters held signs in support of Charlie Kirk, the American conservative icon who was recently assassinated. 

This show of patriotism and nationalism showcases a new and emerging trend not just in Britain but in Western Europe as a whole. Right-wing populism and nationalism seem to be on the rise in every major nation in Western Europe. Some see it as a wake-up call for governments to get their act together. The many Brits who attended this protest are a part of the growing nationalist trend. The rhetoric one would hear from them is that they want secure borders. They want leaders who put their own citizens first, and they want a Britain that works for its people, not for Brussels or global NGOs. How long will this growing nationalistic trend last in Europe? Is it just a coincidence, or is it something larger and more significant? The attendees at this protest would suggest that this is only the beginning.