By
Updated on: May 16, 2026 / 3:59 PM EDT
/ CBS News
Add CBS News on Google
Tens of thousands of demonstrators descended on central London on Saturday for a rally organized by far-right activist Tommy Robinson, with supporters framing the event as a protest against the erosion of British identity.Police estimated that around 60,000 people attended the "Unite the Kingdom" march, making it one of the largest right-wing mobilizations seen in Britain in recent years, though smaller than a similar Robinson-led rally last September. Robinson is the founder of the nationalist and anti-Islamist English Defence League and is one of the most influential far-right figures in Britain.Crowds carrying St. George's Cross and Union flags marched through central London chanting "we want Starmer out" and "Christ is King." Some wore red "Make England Great Again" hats, echoing President Trump's Make America Great Again movement.People cited a range of reasons for attending, but many described feeling ignored by the government and alarmed by the direction of the country.Christian imagery was highly visible throughout the demonstration. Protesters carried large wooden crosses, waved crucifixes and some dressed as Knights Templar. Chris Wickland, who described himself as a priest from the Confessing Anglican Church, told CBS News he was there "to represent Christianity," adding that "something is disappearing from our culture and from our nation … and that was Christianity."
