Keir Starmer Says UK Won't Tolerate Racial Intimidation After Far-Right Rally
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain would not tolerate people feeling intimidated "because of their background or the colour of their skin" after a large far-right protest was marked by battles with police.
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UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer declared on Sunday that Britain would not accept citizens feeling intimidated "due to their background or skin color" following a massive far-right demonstration that resulted in violent confrontations with police.
In his initial response to Saturday's rally organized by far-right figure Tommy Robinson, which police estimated drew up to 150,000 attendees, Starmer also denounced the attacks against police officers.
The violent encounters left 26 officers injured, with four sustaining serious injuries, and resulted in 24 arrests. Metropolitan Police have announced plans to make additional arrests in the coming days.
"Peaceful protest is a fundamental right and central to our national values," Starmer stated on X, a day after protesters gathered near his Downing Street office amid numerous English and British flags.
"However, we will not tolerate assaults on police officers performing their duties or people feeling threatened in our streets because of their heritage or skin color."
The head of the centre-left Labour government, who faced persistent criticism during the rally, emphasized that "Britain is a nation built on values of tolerance, diversity and respect."
"Our flag represents our diverse society and we will never relinquish it to those who use it as a symbol of violence, fear and division," Starmer added.
London's Metropolitan Police reported arresting 24 individuals after officers faced "unacceptable violence" while managing the crowd of up to 150,000 people at the event.
This figure represents two fewer arrests than previously reported, after the discovery of what authorities called "two duplicate records."
Twenty-six police officers were injured, four seriously, during clashes on the periphery of Robinson's "Unite the Kingdom" demonstration.
- 'Unprecedented' -
Among those arrested were three women and 21 men, with ages ranging from 19 to 58 years old, according to police.
Alleged offenses included common assault, criminal damage, assault on emergency workers, and possession of offensive weapons, with several individuals arrested on suspicion of multiple violations.
"A post-event investigation is ongoing, with officers working to identify additional participants involved in the disorder with the intention of making further arrests in the days and weeks ahead," the force stated.
The attacks on police occurred when certain activists attempted to enter restricted areas near counter-protesters at a Stand Up to Racism march that had concluded nearby, according to the Met.
Officers were "assaulted with kicks and punches" while "bottles, flares and other projectiles were thrown," the police reported.
Participants in Robinson's event had marched across Westminster Bridge before assembling near Downing Street to hear speeches from far-right figures from across Europe and North America, including billionaire Elon Musk.
In a video address, the X owner called for the dissolution of Britain's parliament and replacement of the centre-left Labour government while warning that "violence is coming to you."
"You either fight back or you die," he told the assembled crowd.
Analyzing the speeches and participants, anti-racism organization Hope Not Hate described the event as Britain's largest far-right protest ever.
"Witnessing such a large crowd cheering speeches that called for banning all public expression of non-Christian religions, demanded the 'remigration' of legal migrants... and claimed Britain is being 'invaded' and its population 'replaced' is unprecedented," the organization stated.
"For those concerned about the rise of far-right activism and the normalization of viciously anti-migrant, anti-Muslim sentiment, this could signal darker times ahead."
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)