Tens of thousands march in London in separate immigration, pro‑Palestinian protests
Tens of thousands of people marched in London in two separate demonstrations: one against high levels of immigration and another in support of Palestinians on Nakba Day. Police deployed 4,000 officers and made 11 arrests as part of their largest public order operation in years. Prime Minister Keir Starmer criticized the anti-immigration march organizers for spreading division, while authorities remain concerned about rising tensions and hate-related offenses.
- ▪The anti-immigration march was organized by Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson, and drew tens of thousands of supporters waving British and English flags.
- ▪The pro-Palestinian protest marked Nakba Day and coincided with ongoing concerns over antisemitic incidents following 33 large demonstrations since October 2023.
- ▪Police made 11 arrests at the start of the marches and warned against chants like 'globalise the intifada' and 'Death to the IDF,' which they consider potentially inciting hatred.
- ▪Annual net migration in the UK dropped to around 200,000 last year after stricter work visa rules were implemented.
- ▪Census data from 2021 shows that 6.5% of people in England and Wales identified as Muslim, up from 4.9% in 2011.
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Tens of thousands march in London in separate immigration, pro‑Palestinian protestsSign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inboxPublished May 16, 2026, 09:48 PMUpdated May 16, 2026, 09:48 PMLONDON, May 16 - Tens of thousands of people marched through central London on Saturday in two separate protests - one against high levels of immigration and another in support of Palestinians.Police deployed 4,000 officers, including reinforcements from outside the capital, and pledged "the most assertive possible use of our powers" in what they called their biggest public order operation in years.By 1200 GMT, shortly after both marches started, police said they had made 11 arrests for a range of offences.
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