The Unite The Kingdom rally in London drew widespread ridicule, with critics mocking the lower-than-expected turnout and accusing some social media users of sharing images that exaggerated crowd sizes.
Supporters joined far-right activist Tommy Robinson for the rally as some attendees carried placards that critics described as containing anti-immigration and anti-Muslim messages.
The Metropolitan Police said 20 arrests were made during the event, including for public order offences, ABH, drug and disorderly, assaults on emergency workers, criminal damage, and possession of an offensive weapon. Police shared a video showing officers getting abused and arrests being made for racially aggravated public order offences. In the video, one person can be heard telling a Black officer to ‘go back to your f****** homeland’, while another officer is called ‘p***.’
Robinson hoped to replicate the turnout of his September march, which drew around 100,000 people, but media reports suggest attendance at Saturday’s rally was in the tens of thousands.
Organisers described Unite The Kingdom as a patriotic event celebrating British culture, Christianity and national identity.
But the rally also saw broader international political influences.
Alongside Union flags and the flags of the UK’s constituent nations, attendees were seen carrying Israeli flags and symbols associated with Iranian monarchist movements. Some attendees reportedly wore “MEGA” hats, an English variation of US President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” branding.
Meanwhile, videos shared online showed attendees collecting pre-ordered wooden crosses ahead of the march.
Ahead of the event, the government banned 11 foreign far-right figures from entering the UK and attending the rally, including anti-Muslim campaigner Valentina Gomez.
The online verdict: mockery and scepticism
According to the Guardian, addressing the crowd, Robinson said: “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.
“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 for ever.
“We have to get political, we have to get involved. I’m not going to tell you which political party you need to join. We’re a cultural movement. I’m going to tell you that you have to join a political party. I don’t care if it’s Reform, if it’s Advance, or it’s Restore, or it’s the Conservative party. We have to locally get involved in politics.”
The event generated extensive online commentary, with critics focusing on the low turnout, the spread of apparent misinformation online, and the musical performances on stage.
Cat check: This video is from 2025
— Larry the Cat (@Number10cat) May 16, 2026
A pro-immigration electronic billboard prompted angry reactions from some attendees.
Around 4,000 police officers were deployed across London to manage the rally alongside concurrent pro-Palestine demonstrations and the FA Cup final.
Police shared details of some of arrests from the event.
A video of officers making an arrest near Euston earlier has been widely shared.
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) May 16, 2026
Here it is from the officers’ perspective.
One arrest in a crowd requires numerous officers and can involve unpredictable levels of physical and verbal resistance. It’s not as simple as many think. pic.twitter.com/sZpk9XPpJS
We’re now able to provide a more detailed breakdown of the 43 arrests during yesterday’s central London public order policing operation. pic.twitter.com/jrj34hJnFt
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) May 17, 2026
