This is the moment police scrambled to drag a man to safety after he appeared to be left unconscious on the floor during Tommy Robinson‘s ‘Unite the Kingdom’ march.
The incident came as an estimated 110,000 – 150,000 protesters marched through central London on Saturday in what is believed to be the largest right-wing demonstration in British history.
Met Police chiefs blasted anti-migrant protesters for displaying a ‘wholly unacceptable’ level of violence – with at least 25 people arrested and 26 police officers injured, including four who were seriously hurt.
The force said it faced ‘significant aggression’ from protesters as officers attempted to police the event, with many assaulted and peppered with missiles.
In one video, at least seven officers can be seen trying to rescue a man left splayed out on the floor as violence broke out at the end of Whitehall, near Trafalgar Square.
Five officers on police horses were seen surrounding the incident as they scrambled to bring the violence under control. Meanwhile, two officers on foot ran over to rescue the man.
The injured victim – who was black – could be seen cowering on the floor with footage appearing to show him being kicked.
Protesters – many draped in St George’s and Union Jack flags – could be heard baying for blood as the demonstration reached boiling point.
Police officers on horses and on foot rush in to rescue a man during the ‘Unite the Kingdom’ rally
The man – who appeared to be unconscious – was dragged away to safety by police
Clashes erupt between police and protesters at the ‘Unite the Kingdom’ march on Saturday
A protester at the Tommy Robinson-led march scales the South Bank Lion and holds a St George’s flag and cross
Unite The Kingdom supporters clash with police on Whitehall as violence broke out
The victim – who appeared to be unconscious – was then dragged away to safety by two officers before police horses were used to block anyone from going after him.
Daily Mail has contacted the Met Police and London Ambulance Service for comment.
The ‘Unite the Kingdom’ march saw between 110,000 to 150,000 protesters descend on central London, according to police.
Protesters met at Stamford Street, near Waterloo Bridge, before making their way to the southern end of Whitehall.
A counter-protest organised by group Stand Up To Racism (SUTR) formed at the other end of Whitehall with 5,000 in attendance
Later in the day there was a guest video appearance from Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who criticised the Government for a ‘rapidly increasing erosion of Britain’ and told protesters to ‘fight back or die’.
New Labour Business Secretary Peter Kyle told the BBC that Musk’s comments were ‘slightly incomprehensible’ and ‘totally inappropriate’.
He added, however, that the march proved that ‘free speech is alive and well’ in the UK.
Mr Kyle told Sky News: ‘The bit that disturbs me is that when a minority go to an extreme and end up perpetrating violence against the police. That is unacceptable and those people should and will pay a price for it.’
The Met said it had faced ‘significant aggression’ from violent Unite The Kingdom protesters as it attempted to police the event, with officers assaulted and peppered with missiles.
Disruption continued into the evening as speeches and music continued on the stage in Whitehall past the 6pm cut-off time imposed by police.
Away from the main crowd, a line of officers stood beneath a tunnel outside Embankment station, while men wearing St George’s flags shouted ‘w*****s’ and spat down at them from one of the Golden Jubilee footbridges at around 6pm.
Flares are thrown as protesters taking part in a ‘Unite the Kingdom’ rally are held back by police officers
A man draped in an St Georges flag confronts the police cordon which was in place to separate the Unite The Kingdom supporters and counter-protesters
A Met Police infographic showing the locations of the protesters and counter-protesters and some of the sites of disorder
Throughout the day swathes of pro-Robinson demonstrators turned out bedecked in Union Jacks and England flags, with many bearing pictures of Charlie Kirk, the American conservative activist who was shot dead in Utah on Wednesday.
As violence broke out among protesters, police officers reported facing ‘significant aggression’ and were seen struggling to keep activists from breaching their lines and gaining access to counter-protesters, who were all but surrounded.
Initially small scuffles between protesters and police broke out, with activists pushing and shoving, with officers seen drawing batons in response, before projectiles were thrown and officers assaulted.
The force struggled to contain the violence and by 4.30pm had to send in urgent reinforcements to deal with Unite The Kingdom protesters, including mounted officers on horses.
The Met said its officers were ‘attacked with projectiles and have had to use force to prevent their cordon being breached’ after a group from Unite The Kingdom attempted to force their way through police lines towards counter protesters.
The force later added that ‘a number of officers have been assaulted’ and it was having to ‘intervene in multiple locations’ to stop Unite The Kingdom protesters from reaching ‘sterile areas’ and counter-activists.
One witness also captured the moment large crowds from the rally rushed towards St Thomas’ Hospital – and forced their way into the grounds.
Dramatic footage shows groups of men pushing over the fences – before walking into the hospital grounds.
Met Police officers are seen separating crowds of protesters on Saturday afternooon
Clashes between police and protesters broke out after a crush near Westminster Bridge, with British Transport Police responding
A man with a bloody eye is pushed back by police officers during the Unite The Kingdom march
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood condemned protesters who attacked and injured police and vowed that anyone ‘taking part in criminal activity will face the full force of the law’.
People were arrested for a range of offences, including affray, violent disorder, assaults and criminal damage.
Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said police faced a ‘wholly unacceptable’ level of violence, adding: ‘Officers went into today’s operation knowing it would be busy and potentially challenging. They policed without fear or favour and approached engagement with all protesters positively.
‘There is no doubt that many came to exercise their lawful right to protest, but there were many who came intent on violence. They confronted officers, engaging in physical and verbal abuse and making a determined effort to breach cordons in place to keep everyone safe.
‘The violence they faced was wholly unacceptable. 26 officers were injured, including four seriously – among them broken teeth, a possible broken nose, a concussion, a prolapsed disc and a head injury.’
The rival groups of protesters were just metres apart at points during the day
Police officers hold the line between Unite The Kingdom protesters and the ‘serile zone’ which separates them from counter-protesters
Protesters taking part in the ‘Unite the Kingdom’ rally are held back by police officers in central London
He warned that more arrests are likely, adding: ‘Our post-event investigation has already begun – we are identifying those who were involved in the disorder and they can expect to face robust police action in the coming days and weeks.’
A stage was set up to hear a series of speeches from far-right personalities and politicians and included an interview between Robinson and Musk, who accorded with the overriding theme of the day by proclaiming the ‘destruction of Britain’ because of ‘massive uncontrolled migration’.
But, police said, the Robinson crowd was too big to fit into Whitehall and confrontation happened when police tried to stop them from encircling counter-protesters and accessing the area from different routes.
Some people turned off onto Victoria Embankment to get out of the crowds, which the police described as ‘understandable’.
Projectiles were thrown by Robinson protesters towards the counter-demonstrators as thousands from both sides stared each other down on Whitehall.
Overhead footage shared by the Met Police showed groups of protesters attempting to force their way through police barriers
In Whitehall protesters were seen pushing and shoving with officers as speeches continued on stage
‘In addition to the violence directed at officers, we saw people scale fencing and scaffolding around Whitehall, climbing to height putting themselves and others in danger,’ the Met Police said. Pictured: A demonstrator stands on the head of the South Bank Lion that sits on the side of the Westminster Bridge
Police officers confront the supporters of British anti-immigration activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson
Home secretary Shabana Mahmood posted on X that ‘the right to peaceful protest is fundamental to this nation’ but that those who assaulted police officers or took part in criminal activity ‘will face the full force of the law’
London mayor Sadiq Khan thanked Met officers for policing the protest and described the violence against them as ‘completely unacceptable’
A line of police horses faced the sea of Union flags and at one point, a glass bottle appeared to smash against a horse, causing the horse and rider to stagger backwards.
Scuffles broke out as police used batons to try and push back thousands of Robinson supporters gathered on the top of Whitehall and Trafalgar Square in order to allow counter-protesters to leave safely.
Later, more than a hundred helmeted officers, along with dozens of mounted police, pushed Robinson supporters, by this point largely dispersed, back further from Trafalgar Square and towards Embankment station.
As well as Musk, the ‘Unite’ protest featured speeches from Robinson and other activists, including former actor Laurence Fox, former Apprentice candidate Katie Hopkins, along with musical performers.
It also featured far-right French politician Eric Zemmour, who came in fourth place in the first round of the 2022 French presidential election; leader of the Danish People’s Party Morten Messerschmidt; Petr Bystron of the far-right Alternative for Germany party; Polish right-wing politician Dominik Tarczynski; Belgian anti-immigration activist Filip Dewinter; and television personality Ant Middleton who is running to be Mayor of London.
The ‘Unite the Kingdom’ rally overran the 6pm cut-off time imposed by police under the Public Order Act, while the Stand Up To Racism counter-protest had been due to finish at 4pm.
