Unite the Kingdom and Pro Palestine marches Cup 16th May 2026

TR making a call for the UK version of ICE concerned me. Looking at how that has played out in the US I wouldn't like to see ICE version 2 on the streets of the UK.

Trouble is we are so insular news wise that many don't know anything about ICE1
and those getting information from Robinson type social media with have painted it as a Great Idea without the details that are so troubling.

I did notice however on photos of the anti-right march quite a number of Welsh Flags. A sort of reclamation away from the Right. Not sure what to make of it.

Aren't the far right reclaiming Christianity too?

It's horrible.

keepingquiet

keepingquiet

I haven't seen the news- was there actually any trouble?

I still haven't heard that there was any trouble?

People who attended the demo say the MSM massively underestimated the number of people attending.

The Met Police say 150,000 marched for Unite the Kingdom and 5,000 for the counter protest. They also said the march passed “largely without significant incident”. They say there were 31 arrests. Pretty good result then. I am sure if there was any major stuff like violence it would have made headline news.

Sadly I think the algorithms that drive social media are having a hugely disproportionate effect on people's political views. Back in the day, the newspapers, particularly the red tops, were influential but at least people often only read one a day but nowadays we are bombarded with social media posts that increasingly reinforce, amplify and drive polarisation. It's of note that much of the money that comes to Reform is channeled into media of one sort or another and that foreign money and foreign countries that are no friends of the UK are involved in flooding us with political messages that generally support the far right. Russia, in particular, is known to have been active in supporting Brexit! We've seen how a man like Trump has been able to gain political power and I worry that we are now seeing people like Tommy Robinson being seen as "acceptable" and suitable leader of people, a promoter of acceptable political ideas and behaviour. It's totally shocking!

Why does it matter how many people attended?

It's almost as if some posters are sympathetic. Surely not.

That sounds like a s**t stirring comment to me sixandahalf
Actually numbers do matter as in it shows strength of feeling about a matter.

Allira

Wyllow3

I thought the BBC report was very even handed and it was very interesting but so so awful as in a divided UK to read it all. I feel sorrowful it's come to this.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3d2ryyz0jzo

I really, really find the take over of our national flags by the far right horrendous.

It's like -the flags have ceased to be for us all, and how do we ever go back to when they were.

I really, really find the take over of our national flags by the far right horrendous.

I agree, it is horrendous. But we should not let these right-wing racists take over. The flags are not theirs.

how do we ever go back to when they were.
It is up to us. No shying away because of what some people think they represent, we need to reclaim the flags and urge our politicians, local and national, to help us do that.

Absolutely Allira 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

I’m all for anyone marching to show their pride in being British. Well done them 👏

Oreo

That sounds like a s**t stirring comment to me sixandahalf
Actually numbers do matter as in it shows strength of feeling about a matter.

Laughable really.

Only laughable if the only reason you bother to comment is to hope for trouble on a thread sixandahalf

With the huge numbers attending marches in London yesterday it’s marvellous that there were so few arrests.😃

The Met Police say 150,000 marched for Unite the Kingdom and 5,000 for the counter protest. They also said the march passed “largely without significant incident”.

What 'counter protest ' was that, Primrose?

Where did you get your numbers from?

This was the best that AI could do for me:

The latest figures I can find from the Metropolitan Police and live reporting are:

Around 80,000 people combined across the two demonstrations in central London.
The Met’s latest working estimate for the Unite the Kingdom march turnout was about 60,000.
The Nakba Day pro‑Palestinian march had previously been estimated by police at roughly 30,000, though organisers claimed as many as 250,000 attended.

Arrest numbers appear to have risen through the evening: earlier police updates said 31 arrests
later updates from multiple outlets reported 43 arrests across the protests.

The government have made it very clear which side they're on, David Lammy said "Unite the Kingdom are spreading hated and division".

Then Diane Abbott does exactly that! She said about UTK "They are viciously right-wing, viciously racist, they are anti-black, anti-Muslim, and viciously antisemitic."

What a vile and horrible thing to say. If that's not spreading hatred and division I don't know what is. The far left has no place on the moral high ground when they use words like that. Such nasty people.

31 arrests is a tiny figure given the numbers in both marches.
The Unite march far outnumbered the pro Palestine march, and no doubt figures will be released soon.

With the huge numbers attending marches in London yesterday it’s marvellous that there were so few arrests

Agree.
I wish I’d gone now.

Diane Abbot ….does anyone take her seriously? Or Corbyn for that matter, I think we can comfortably disregard anything they say about antisemitism in any case.

Well done to the police for keeping what could have been a very volatile situation relatively calm.
Also some of the most troublesome agitators were banned from entering the country. Elon Musk was absent this time thankfully.
Hopefully such a large police presence won't be necessary again as police from other forces were drafted in so leaving their own areas short. Apart from the huge cost.

Primrose53

keepingquiet

keepingquiet

I haven't seen the news- was there actually any trouble?

I still haven't heard that there was any trouble?

People who attended the demo say the MSM massively underestimated the number of people attending.

The Met Police say 150,000 marched for Unite the Kingdom and 5,000 for the counter protest. They also said the march passed “largely without significant incident”. They say there were 31 arrests. Pretty good result then. I am sure if there was any major stuff like violence it would have made headline news.

As a matter of interest, how would those attending know? I doubt very much that they were in any position to count how many people were there.

I think you mean you will disregard what they say Oreo, Jeremy Corbyn does still retain quite a fan base in the UK. Not me by the way, but they are quite definitely out there.

I think anyone who votes Labour and many who don’t….know full well that under Corbyn antisemitism flourished with the LP.
Oh yes, they are out there alright😲

Oreo

That sounds like a s**t stirring comment to me sixandahalf
Actually numbers do matter as in it shows strength of feeling about a matter.

Of course numbers matter. To think otherwise would be naïve.

I expect the Government is taking note and their advisers and analysts are working out why and how to calm what is growing unrest in the country.

This doesn't mean that people, marchers, are Yaxley-Lennon supporters, it means they are dissatisfied with the status quo.

I am afraid they haven't a clue how to calm the unrest, bless them.

Oreo

I think anyone who votes Labour and many who don’t….know full well that under Corbyn antisemitism flourished with the LP.
Oh yes, they are out there alright😲

You’ve lost me now, I thought you said he wasn’t influential, now you’re saying he is?

Here are some numbers of arrests from previous events/demos from Google.

Charitytoday website said: The Prime Minister has come under scrutiny after describing 26 arrests at the Unite the Kingdom protest in London (2025) as evidence of ‘serious disorder’, while national media outlets characterised more than 500 arrests at the 2025 Notting Hill Carnival as less serious and part of a ‘vibrant cultural day’.

Interesting. I expect the number of attendees for this event will become clearer in time.