‘Unite the Kingdom’ Rally: A Reflection Of The Hatred Simmering Across The UK

On Saturday 13^th September, thousands flocked to the UK’s capital for the ‘Unite the Kingdom’ rally. The rally was organised and led by Tommy Robinson; real name Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon. A far-right activist, Robinson founded the English Defence League in 2009 and has since revelled in infamy for inter alia fuelling Islamophobia across Britain. Robinson also boasts a history of violence and criminality, having been convicted of immigration frauds, cocaine possession and harassing journalists. It is no surprise, therefore, that Robinson’s rally was characterised by similar sentiments of hate, abuse and racism. 

The exact purpose of the march was left unclear, disguised under the vague aim of promoting ‘free speech’. Unfortunately, it appeared that most protestors exercised their freedom of speech to incite virulence. Anti-immigration seemed to be the most prominent cause for the attendees, who were bearing ‘Send them back’ signs and spouting exclusionary language under a façade of nationalism. 

Though the largest in recent months, this rally is not an isolated incident of racism and hate. Indeed, the rally culminated a summer of anti-immigration fuelled rage. Whilst ‘Unite the Kingdom’ commenced, a Sikh woman was raped by white men in the West Midlands as she was subjected to abusive chants: “You don’t belong in this country, get out”. Results from the recent local elections further demonstrate an increased anti-immigration stance, with Reform UK winning the largest number of seats. Meanwhile, this summer has seen multiple instances of protests occurring outside the Bell Hotel in Epping. The hotel is one of the many places where the government houses asylum seekers and has been targeted as a site of nationalist protests since an asylum seeker from Ethiopia was accused of attempting to kiss a 14-year-old girl. What these protests reveal is something far more sinister than individuals who simply want to preserve their freedom of speech. These bouts of hostility and violence reflect a simmering racism and ethno-nationalism rampant within the UK.

Political commentators point to the ongoing financial crisis and a disillusionment with the newly appointed Labour government as the trigger for these instances. Referring to the protests, Business Secretary Peter Kyle told the BBC that Tommy Robinson was tapping into a sense of ‘disquiet’ felt by many across the nation. Kyle rooted this disappointment and struggle in the ongoing financial crisis and the impact it has had on British communities. Whilst these issues are certainly urgent, they are no excuse for the blatant and overt racism that occurred on Saturday, carried out amongst a sea of St. George’s flags. The term “patriotism” seemed to adopt a new, shameful meaning, which encouraged the abusive exclusion of immigrants and the promotion of racism. Anger towards the government and frustration over financial and industrial failure is grounded in logic. Using immigration as a scapegoat for these issues, however, is not. 

Once again, social media is responsible for intensifying misinformation about immigration and asylum seekers who are presently in the UK. Last October, a Facebook post claiming that every ‘illegal immigrant’ is gifted £175 a week on top of three free meals a day circulated amongst over 10,000 people. In reality, destitute asylum seekers are eligible for £8.86 a week to cover essential living items such as clothing or medication. If placed in an accommodation without free meals, this increases to £49.19, a far cry from the amount speculated in these online posts. Most asylum seekers are not allowed to work and are therefore forced to rely on this small amount.

Outrage over asylum seekers being put up in hotels therefore lacks a crucial empathy for the reality of these individuals who are fleeing from war torn countries. Rylan Clark’s comments on ‘This Morning’, which insinuated refugees were being given free access to iPads and the NHS, is not only misinformed, but dangerous. These narratives, which are broadcasted across mainstream media are only exacerbating hateful and exclusionist sentiments. In Hull last year, a hotel home to asylum seekers had its windows smashed by violent riots, forcing those who had already been forced out of their homes to hide in their rooms, fearing they might “die” if they left.  

Misinformation is dangerous and it is inciting unwarranted hatred and rage towards those who are undeserving of it. Filtering out the truth from the lies is thus essential in this digital age. 

Social media also allows for the mass mobilisation of such causes. For instance, the assassination of Charlie Kirk, an American right-wing activist and ally of Donald Trump, further motivated attendance at Saturday’s rally. The rally also featured a zoom call from Elon Musk, who displayed a blatant ignorance of British democracy in his call for the dissolution of the British Parliament. Calling on the British people to “fight back or die”, Musk attempted to relate to the British commons from his billion-dollar mansion located 3,500 miles away. This is not the first time Musk has utilised his privileged position to try and influence politics. During the most recent US election race, Musk rewarded two Trump voters with one million dollar checks as an expression of gratitude for forwarding the “future of civilization”.

It is also important to remember that as well as pumping out exaggerated and misinformed facts, social media also magnified the scale of hatred that was present on Saturday. After the Metropolitan Police estimated three million people would attend the ‘Unite the Kingdom’ rally, Tommy Robinson proudly boasted of these high figures on his X account and as he was parading through London’s streets. However, this estimation was proved incorrect, with the real figures of attendance being drastically different with only 110,000 to 150,000 individuals. Moreover, the size of this rally was one tenth of the largest ever march the UK has witnessed, which took place in 2003 to protest the Iraq War. 

And so, whilst the protest on Saturday marked a terrifying display of the hate within our country, it is important to look for light in the darkness. 5,000 individuals showed up for Stand up to Hate’s counter-protest. On Saturday hate outnumbered empathy, support and inclusion. Going forward, it is vital that people actively demonstrate their support, and that dangerous ethno-nationalism is squashed. Politicians can do more, individuals can do more. Moreover, media outlets ought to be held accountable for the dissemination of misinformation, which only adds fuel to the fire. Silence about the racist motivations behind many of the protest’s attendees is dangerous. It is important that going forward, the virulence reflected by Saturday’s protest is addressed, that facts and information about immigration and asylum seekers are presented correctly and clearly, and most importantly, that sentiments of hatred and exclusion are squashed, rather than left to brew in darkness.

Image: Flickr/johnlsl

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