TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Tens of thousands of protesters joined the latest rally staged by far-right activist Tommy Robinson in London on Saturday.
Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, gathered up to 150,000 people into central London also last September, for a rally proclaiming "national unity, free speech and Christian values."
Who is Tommy Robinson?
The public profile of the former football hooligan turned anti-Islam activist has risen significantly in the UK in recent years. He also has convictions for assault, stalking and other offenses.
Robinson urged supporters this week to act peacefully in what he billed as "the greatest patriotic display the world has ever seen."
London's Metropolitan Police deployed 4,000 officers on Saturday, including reinforcements from outside the capital.
The city's law enforcement was stretched thin, as they sought to manage the far-right march and a counter-demonstration, a pro-Palestinian protest, as well as the FA Cup final, all taking place at the same time.
By 1830 GMT, after both marches had ended, police said they had made 43 arrests for a range of offenses and described both protests as "largely without significant incident."
Four officers were assaulted on Saturday, and six were subjected to hate crime offenses, the force added in a post on X.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday denounced Robinson's Unite the Kingdom march for "peddling hate and division, plain and simple." The government barred 11 people it described as "foreign far-right agitators" from entering Britain to address the protest.
Robinson denounces 'Islamification' of UK
The far-right activist has tapped into growing public anger over immigration, as the UK has seen tens of thousands of migrants crossing the English Channel each year in small boats.
His followers have also shown dissatisfaction with broader immigration policies, alleged free-speech curbs and other issues.
Robinson called for British people to get involved in politics, as he spoke on stage at the march.
"Are you ready for the battle of Britain? 2029 we have an election. We're not asking anyone to go out and fight, but this is the most important moment in our generation," he said.
"If we don't send a message in our next election, if you don’t register to vote, if you don’t get involved, if you don’t become activists, we are going to lose our country forever," he added.
Robinson has spread his message far and wide, traveling to the US earlier this year to warn about the so-called "dangers of Islam" and "the Islamification of Great Britain."
Census data showed 6.5% of people in England and Wales identified as Muslim in 2021, up from 4.9% in 2011.
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