More than 150,000 people marched through central London on Saturday under the slogan “Unite the Kingdom,” an event organized by far-right activist Tommy Robinson to oppose immigration. Meanwhile, about 5,000 counter-protesters gathered nearby under the “Stand Up To Racism” (SUTR) banner to oppose racism.

Earlier, UK Business Secretary Peter Kyle had said the demonstrations reflected freedom of assembly and expression. But in a statement on Sunday afternoon, Starmer stressed, “The public has the right to peaceful protest — it is a core part of our national values. But we will not tolerate violence against police officers doing their jobs or people feeling unsafe on our streets because of their background or skin colour.”

“The United Kingdom is proudly built on tolerance, diversity and mutual respect. Our national flag represents a diverse country and we will never allow anyone to use it as a symbol of violence, fear and division,” he added.

During Saturday’s unrest, 26 police officers were injured in clashes with demonstrators, four seriously. Authorities said 24 people were arrested. Protesters gathered on Whitehall heard speeches from several figures, including Steve Bannon, former adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump. Robinson — whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon — accused politicians of echoing his views and claimed British courts valued the rights of illegal immigrants over those of local citizens.

His remarks referenced a recent Court of Appeal decision overturning a ban on asylum seekers being housed at The Bell hotel in Epping, Essex.

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk also addressed the Whitehall crowd via video link, warning of “uncontrolled immigration” and urging political change in the UK — comments Kyle condemned as “entirely inappropriate.”

https://www.thairath.co.th/news/foreign/2882804