Protesters wave Union and St George’s Cross flags at the march in central London on Saturday. Photo / Getty Images
Protesters wave Union and St George’s Cross flags at the march in central London on Saturday. Photo / Getty Images
Sir Keir Starmer has told Tommy Robinson that he will not “surrender” the British flag to violence after tens of thousands of the activist’s supporters descended on London.
More than 100,000 people marched in the capital for the “Unite the Kingdom” demonstration organised by Robinson, whose real name is StephenYaxley-Lennon. They arrived wearing the Union flag and St George’s Cross.
In a statement responding to the protests on Saturday, the Prime Minister said that the Union flag “represents our diverse country”.
Starmer added: “People have a right to peaceful protest. It is core to our country’s values. But we will not stand for assaults on police officers doing their job or for people feeling intimidated on our streets because of their background or the colour of their skin.”
He added: “Britain is a nation proudly built on tolerance, diversity and respect. Our flag represents our diverse country and we will never surrender it to those that use it as a symbol of violence, fear and division.”
Protesters were addressed by Elon Musk via video link. The US tech billionaire was asked by Robinson what his message was to those in Britain who were “scared to exercise their free speech”.
Musk told protesters: “If this continues, that violence is going to come to you, you will have no choice. You’re in a fundamental situation here where, whether you choose violence or not, violence is coming to you.”
To cheering from the crowd, he added: “You either fight back or you die.”
Twenty-six Metropolitan Police officers were injured at the protest on Saturday, according to the force. There were 25 arrests for offences including violent disorder, assaults and criminal damage.
Unite The Kingdom supporters gather at Trafalgar Square after the rally. Photo / Getty Images
Musk’s comments ‘totally inappropriate’
Asked about Musk’s words, Peter Kyle, the Business Secretary, told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme: “I thought that they were slightly incomprehensible comments that were totally inappropriate.
“But what we saw yesterday was over 100,000 people who were expressing freedom of association, freedom of speech, and proving that both of those things are alive and well in this country.”
Freedom of speech has been a point of tension between the US and UK in recent weeks.
Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK and a friend of Donald Trump, was invited to give evidence to a congressional committee in Washington DC on the topic earlier this month.
He cited the case of Graham Linehan, a comedy writer who was arrested by five armed police officers at Heathrow Airport over posts on X about trans people.
Farage also referred to Lucy Connolly, who was jailed for 31 months after admitting inciting racial hatred with an online comment made during the riots triggered by the Southport killings in 2024.
When Starmer met the US President at his Turnberry golf resort in July, Trump joked about the Government “censoring” his site Truth Social in the UK as part of the Online Safety Act.
The President will return to Britain on Tuesday for a historic second state visit, and will stay with the King at Windsor Castle.
On Saturday, Musk spoke about the reaction among some on the Left to the murder of Charlie Kirk, the conservative influencer and Trump ally shot dead on a college campus in Utah at an event debating students about politics.
Musk told Robinson’s supporters: “There’s so much violence on the Left, with our friend Charlie Kirk getting murdered in cold blood this week and people on the left celebrating it openly.
“The left is the party of murder and celebrating murder. I mean, let that sink in for a minute, that’s who we’re dealing with here.”
JD Vance, the US Vice-President, shared a post on X that falsely claimed more than a million people had attended the demonstration, and that it was a march “in honour of Charlie Kirk”.
The protesters in London held a moment’s silence in honour of Kirk, followed by a bagpiper playing Amazing Grace.
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