Sporadic protests earlier in the year On 15 March, a rally was held in
Portsmouth by
British nationalist political party
UKIP calling for mass-deportations of migrants. Party leader
Nick Tenconi was in attendance. A counter protest was led by Stand Up To Racism Portsmouth, at which the Leader of
Portsmouth City Council, Steve Pitt, spoke. On 13 April, a group called 'Fighting Justice Against Predators' held a protest about a hotel used to house asylum seekers in
Paisley. They were opposed by a counter-protest from
Stand Up To Racism. According to
The Herald, the organisation focuses on immigration, has ties to the far-right
Patriotic Alternative, and have a history of spreading unfounded allegations on Facebook.
Police Scotland stated that criminality had not been established upon investigation of related reports. On 27 April, a protest against illegal immigration organised by motorcycle group 'Kent Motor Heads' was held in
Dover. The bikers gathered in the town centre, where they were joined by more people on foot. The protesters carried
Union Jack flags and signs with the phrase "Stop the boats". The group passed through the town and into the Market Square, where they were met by a group of counter-protesters including
Stand Up To Racism and members of Medway Trades Union Council.
Paul Golding, leader of
neo-fascist party
Britain First, was in attendance. Kent Police said the event passed without any reported incidents of disorder or arrests. On 17 May 2025 supporters of
neo-fascist party
Britain First, including leader
Paul Golding, gathered from about midday in
Birmingham city centre. They marched to
Victoria Square where a stage and video screen had been set up, despite
Birmingham City Council saying the protestors would not be welcome and would not be allowed on the square. City council leader, Cllr John Cotton said their access of the area would be investigated and called it "a serious breach of security". Police kept them apart from counter protesters. The
Birmingham Mail reported Britain First's demands as "A ban on mosque construction", "The removal of 'non-indigenous' people – including those born here", and "The criminalisation of Islam in public life". On the same day, 100 members of
UKIP were in
Bristol city centre calling for "mass-deportations". They were opposed by around 250 counter-protesters who carried Antifascism Action banners. The police gave a statement saying "Overall, both groups were calm and engaged with officers, however we did see a handful of clashes between the two sides." UKIP gathered initially by the
Colston Statue plinth, whilst the counter-protesters gathered at
Bristol Cenotaph. UKIP leader
Nick Tenconi was present. The protests came to an end at around 3.30pm, with police transporting the remaining UKIP supporters away from the area in their riot vans as they were surrounded on both sides by counter-protesters.
Epping protests (July–September) On 7 and 8 July, a 41-year-old
Ethiopian asylum seeker was accused of three sexual assaults in
Epping, only eight days after arriving in the UK by boat on 29 June. He was arrested and
remanded in custody after appearing at
magistrates' court in
Colchester on 10 July, where he denied three charges of sexual assault and charges of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity and harassment without violence. He appeared in court again on 17 July for a case management hearing, where he was told he would face a two-day trial from 26 August. On 4 September 2025, he was found guilty of two counts of sexual assault, attempted sexual assault, attempt to cause/incite a girl 13 to 15 to engage in sexual activity, and harassment. The man, whose name is Hadush Kebatu, was sentenced to 12 months in prison on 23 September; as such, a deportation order must be made under the
UK Borders Act 2007. Kebatu was erroneously released on 24 October instead of being sent to an immigration detention centre as part of the deportation process. Knowing he was supposed to be deported, he returned to the prison reception "four or five times", waiting outside the prison for roughly "an hour and a half" before leaving. He was re-arrested two days later and deported to Ethiopia the following week. The first protest about asylum seekers took place outside the Bell Hotel in Epping on 13 July; the hotel was being used to house asylum seekers by the
Home Office, who had faced calls from
Neil Hudson, MP for
Epping Forest,
Alex Burghart, MP for
Brentwood and Ongar and
Christopher Whitbread, leader of
Epping Forest District Council, to close the hotel. During the protest, two security personnel at the hotel were left with serious injuries after being attacked by a group of men. A second protest took place against the hotel for asylum seekers took place in Epping on 17 July, attracting hundreds of demonstrators who were mostly local residents, although they were joined by some far-right activists, some of whom donned
Britain First T-shirts. A separate counter-protest which included demonstrators from
Stand Up To Racism (SUTR) took place outside
Epping tube station; however, they later converged with the initial protest at the hotel which had been peaceful until that point. Disorder then ensued as clashes occurred with the counter-protesters, with riot police surrounding the small group of them as bottles, eggs and flour were thrown at them; the town's
High Street was blocked off for many hours as police were directly attacked, with many of their vehicles being vandalised. The hotel itself was also damaged and the
assistant chief constable of
Essex Police said eight officers had suffered minor injuries, whilst two people had been arrested following the protest. A third person was arrested in connection to the disorder on 19 July and was charged with violent disorder and criminal damage.
Nigel Farage called for the chief constable to resign after the police force was accused of "bussing" counter-protesters to the hotel; a police spokesman said the claims were "categorically wrong" but said officers had provided a foot cordon around protesters on their way to the protest. The next anti-immigration protest took place at the same location on 20 July and was attended by over 1,000 people. Disorder also took place during this protest, with six people being arrested after what was described by the
chief superintendent of Essex Police as "mindless thuggery" . Bottles and smoke flares were thrown at police vehicles and officers from
Norfolk and
Suffolk were drafted in; one officer from the former was hospitalised after being struck in the face by a bottle. Essex Police later said the cost of policing the protests on 17 and 20 July had exceeded £100,000. On 24 July, a fourth protest took place at the Bell Hotel in Epping, with another taking place simultaneously at
Epping Civic Offices, where a meeting regarding the hotel was taking place. Unlike the two previous protests, there was no disorder and only one person was arrested for refusing to remove a face covering, which police said was the 17th arrest in total. The council meeting concluded with a unanimous vote to urge the government to close the hotel. On 27 July, another asylum hotel protest took place with a large number of counter-protesters attending. There were between 300 and 400 anti-migrant protesters, however they were outnumbered by an estimated 2,000 counter-protesters who made their way from the train station to the hotel. Essex Police described the protest as peaceful but added that three people were arrested; officers from the
Cheshire,
Durham,
Dyfed-Powys,
Hampshire,
Kent,
Leicestershire,
Metropolitan,
Northamptonshire,
Surrey,
Sussex and
West Midlands forces were at the scene, with the
British Transport Police also assisting. In
Altrincham, protesters and counter-protesters faced off on either side of the
A56 road outside a hotel with a small line of police between them. On 31 July, another protest took place outside the Bell Hotel and passed peacefully with a march facilitated by police. Essex Police said that a total of 23 people had been arrested in connection with the earlier protests, 14 of whom had been charged. On 3 August, a further protest passed peacefully, with police arresting and charging two more people in connection to the disorder on 17 July, bringing the total to 25 arrested and 16 charged. On 8 August, police arrested two people at another protest, one of whom was arrested after an officer was struck by an object; despite this, police said the protest passed peacefully. These arrests brought the total in Epping to 27. On 10 August, another protest attracted over 150 protesters. On 17 August shadow Justice Secretary
Robert Jenrick posted photos on
X of himself attending that day's protest outside the hotel. Far-right activist
Eddy Butler, who was a key strategist in the rise of the
British National Party, can be seen wearing sunglasses in the background of one of the photos, which he then shared to his own social media.
The Guardian referred to this posting as being "seized on by far-right figures eager to exploit the protest". On 29 August, following the overturning of a temporary injunction which would have blocked asylum seekers being housed there, disorder broke out at the Bell Hotel after several weeks of peaceful protests. Two police officers were injured and three men were arrested: one for assaulting a police officer, one for drink-driving, and the other for violent disorder. On 31 August, around 200 demonstrators gathered outside the council offices in Epping, where three people were arrested after protesters clashed with police. On 5 September, further disorder broke out at a protest as flares were lit and one person was arrested, bringing the total number of arrests in the town to 32. Police later said the antisocial behaviour was not carried out by legitimate protesters and added that a resident of the hotel had been assaulted. On 21 September, police put in place a dispersal order during a protest. This was intended to prevent the public from being harassed, alarmed or distressed, as well as to prevent disorder or crime in the area, while still allowing peaceful protest. On 23 September, two further men were arrested at a protest outside the hotel. A 48-year-old was arrested on suspicion of breaching his bail conditions, and a 17-year-old was arrested on suspicion of failing to abide by the restrictions placed upon the protest.
Protests elsewhere (July–November) July On 5 July, an anti-migrant protest held on South Parade in
Southsea, Portsmouth was met by counter-protesters. Videos showed the groups fighting and facing off with each other. The police issued a dispersal order, with three arrests made and one officer was assaulted. On 19 July, a right-wing protest took place in
Dover, with participants chanting "stop the boats" as they made their way to the seafront. Some
Reform UK councillors were in attendance. A small number of people supporting the far-right group
Patriotic Alternative were also at the protest. One man, who self-identified to
KentOnline as far-right, had a flag bearing the group's logo, and wore a hat with the word "
Remigration" on. An anti-immigration protest took place in
Hull alongside a small counter-protest; three number-shaped balloons were released representing the ages of the three girls killed in the Southport stabbing. On 21 July, protesters gathered outside a hotel housing asylum-seeking families in
Diss, Norfolk, which the Home Office planned to change to house males. Initially, there were 60 protesters and 30 counter-protesters on opposing sides of a road, however after a confrontation the counter-protesters moved elsewhere. The number of protesters grew to around 150 and two people were arrested in connection to the protest later in the week. On 22 July, a protest took place outside a four-star hotel in
Canary Wharf, which
Tower Hamlets Council said was going to be used as temporary accommodation for asylum seekers.
Apsana Begum, MP for
Poplar and Limehouse, said "refugees are welcome here", whilst
Lee Anderson, the
Chief Whip of
Reform UK, expressed his disapproval online and said he was "absolutely furious" in a video taken outside the hotel. A second protest took place the following day, where anti-migrant protesters and counter-protesters shouted at each other from across the street as police guarded the hotel. On 25 July, one person was arrested and charged in
Leeds for obstructing a police officer during a peaceful protest at a hotel in
Seacroft. An estimated 300 anti-immigration protesters gathered in
Sutton-in-Ashfield following the arrest of a man for the rape of a woman. Lee Anderson, whose constituency,
Ashfield, was where the rape took place, claimed online that the suspect was an asylum seeker. The protesters gathered in the town centre, with a much smaller number of counter-protesters gathering at a nearby church. Protests also took place in
Bournemouth and
Southampton, with one in
Portsmouth seeing anti-migrant protesters face off with counter-protesters outside a hotel. On 26 July, around 400 anti-immigration protesters gathered outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in
Bowthorpe, with around 150 counter-protesters also in attendance. Around 60 police officers were also at the scene, however the protest passed without incident and the force said no arrests were made. A "mass
deportation" protest in
Glasgow led by
Nick Tenconi, the leader of
UKIP, saw around 150 supporters march through the city as hundreds of anti-racists staged a counter-demonstration organised by SUTR. On 29 July, a peaceful protest took place in
Hoylake after it was reported that the home officed planned to change the residents of a hotel from asylum-seeking families to single males.
Wirral Council said they "strongly opposed" the plans and residents described their frustration over the lack of communication with the local community. On 30 July, over 1,000 anti-immigration protesters gathered in
Waterlooville in opposition to plans to house asylum seekers in flats above shops. The protesters were supported by
Suella Braverman, MP for
Fareham and Waterlooville and former
Home Secretary, who said the plans were "utterly inappropriate" and that she was "very proud" of protesters. The plans were dropped on 8 August following the protest and a petition by Braverman which received over 10,000 signatures. A man was arrested during a third day of protests in Hoylake for supporting a proscribed terrorist organisation, although police said the offence took place outside the area. A protest also took place at a hotel in
Stanwell after the Home Office revealed plans to exclusively house male asylum seekers there rather than the families which were currently being housed there. Over 100 protesters were in attendance and there were reports of anti-social behaviour and criminal damage; the following day it was announced that the plans had been paused.
August On 1 August, a 64-year-old counter-protester was hospitalised after being hit by a placard during a protest at
The Meadows in
Edinburgh. A protest took place at a hotel housing asylum seekers in Portsmouth following an alleged incident with one of its residents; it was attended by both anti-migrant and anti-racism demonstrators. Further protests also took place in Bournemouth and Southampton. On 2 August, a total of 15 people were arrested in
London,
Manchester and
Newcastle upon Tyne following clashes amid protests at hotels housing asylum seekers. In London, protesters gathered at the Thistle City Barbican Hotel in
Islington, with counter-protesters from SUTR also in attendance; police said nine people were arrested. In Newcastle, protesters and counter-protesters gathered at a hotel, with
Northumbria Police saying four people were arrested there. In Manchester, around 1,500 people took place in a march organised by
Britain First, with around 250 counter-protesters from SUTR; two people were arrested at the start of the march, which tracked from
Manchester Piccadilly station to
Manchester Central Library. A demonstration outside accommodation for asylum seekers in
Aberdeen led to two men being arrested and charged under the
Hate Crime Act, one of whom was also charged for an assault. A further five men in attendance were later also charged under the Hate Crime Act. A group of anti-migrant protesters gathered outside a hotel in
Cannock, with counter-protesters also in attendance. Around 200 people gathered for a protest in
Newtownabbey. On 3 August another protest took place at the Britannia International Hotel in Canary Wharf and flares were set off, with protesters being accused of trying to break into the hotel as they attempted to breach the fencing; one man was arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker.
Merseyside Police said they had arrested a further three people for public order offences following protests in Hoylake earlier that week. On 4 August, around 250 people gathered at the Civic Centre in
Mansfield before marching to the police station following claims that asylum seekers were being housed there, with organisers accusing local police of failing to protect the public. A small group of around 20 protesters blocked the entrance to a hotel in
Watton, Norfolk after its renovation sparked rumours that it was to be repurposed by the Home Office to house asylum seekers. On 7 August, protestors gathered outside the offices of
Spelthorne Borough Council as they discussed the Home Office's plans for the hotel in Stanwell; the discussion resulted in the council urging the government to reconsider its plans. On 8 August, a SUTR protest under the banner "Defend Refugees, Stop the Far Right" took place at the hotel in Canary Wharf, with an anti-migrant counter-protest also in attendance; both sides had around 100 demonstrators and two people were arrested: one from each side. Another protest in
Altrincham attracted hundreds of opposing protesters, who were separated by the A56 road, the
central reservation of which was lined with police; at least two assaults were reported to police during the protest. A protest took place in
Crick, Northamptonshire after a resident of a local asylum hotel was charged with sexual assault. Another protest in Bowthorpe attracted around 300 protesters, with 80 counter-protesters also attending. Another protest took place in Hoylake, with around 100 protesters and 50 counter-protesters taking part. A small protest outside the Highfield House Hotel in
Portswood, a suburb of Southampton, attracted around 25 protesters and 100 counter-protesters.
Nick Tenconi, the leader of
UKIP, was accused of making a
Nazi salute after he was recorded raising his arm at a protest in Portsmouth. Around 100 protesters gathered outside a hotel in
Chichester, which had been used to house migrants for around two years. Groups of anti-migrant and anti-racist protesters gathered at a hotel near
Cardiff Airport in
Rhoose which was housing Afghan families. On 9 August, another protest took place near a hotel housing asylum seekers in Newcastle, where one person was arrested for a public order offence. A protest taking place outside the
Grand Metropole Hotel in
Blackpool coincided with the
Rebellion Festival, some of the attendees of which clashed with the protesters, with one person being arrested for being drunk and disorderly. Protesters marched through
Heywood and gathered outside the office of
Elsie Blundell, MP for
Heywood and Middleton North. Two groups of protesters faced off at a hotel in
Liverpool, with some counter-protesters shouting "nazi" at people on the anti-migrant side. A protest organised by
Patriotic Alternative in
Newark-on-Trent saw anti-migrant and anti-racist protesters clash outside the offices of
Newark and Sherwood District Council. A protest took place in
Nuneaton after
George Finch, the leader of
Warwickshire County Council, claimed that two men charged with the rape of a 12-year-old girl were asylum seekers. During the protest, which was organised by the
Homeland Party, one person was arrested for threatening to cause criminal damage. Hundreds of people gathered outside
Nuneaton Town Hall, with a smaller group of counter-protesters being outnumbered and led away by police after a few hours. Protesters gathered outside the
Ramada hotel in
Solihull and marched from the police station to the town centre, with the
Touchwood shopping centre closing following police advice. Around 100 anti-immigration protesters and 300-400 counter-protesters gathered in outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in
Bristol. A protest in
Bournemouth attracted 200 anti-immigration protesters and 100 counter-protesters, with
Dorset Police receiving support from Surrey, Sussex and
Wiltshire as they separated the opposing groups. A protest took place outside a hotel near
Exeter Airport which was housing asylum seekers, with counter-protesters also in attendance. In
Belfast, anti-immigration protesters gathered near the
City Hall with a counter-demonstration also taking place; two people were arrested: one man on suspicion disorderly behaviour and a woman for wearing a T-shirt in support of proscribed terrorist organisation
Palestine Action. On 10 August, a protest took place outside a hotel in
Copthorne near
Gatwick Airport. On 13 August,
Suella Braverman attended another protest in Waterlooville after plans to house asylum seekers there were ditched, becoming the "first sitting MP to address an illegal migrant protest at a rally". On 15 August, a protest took place at an asylum hotel in
Sutton Coldfield which was once used for the TV series
Crossroads. On 16 August, hundreds of anti-immigration protesters gathered at the Cladhan Hotel in
Falkirk and faced off with anti-racism protesters;
Police Scotland said two people was arrested, one for indecent exposure and the other for obstructing police. A third protest took place in Cannock, with around 140 protesters and 40 counter-protesters facing off. At a protest outside the
County Hall in
Maidstone, five councillors were pictured alongside a protester draped in the flag of
British Movement, a
neo-Nazi organisation. On 17 August a protest in
Ashington attracted hundreds. Organisers said it was called over their concerns about illegal immigrants housed in the area and that alleged reports of men taking photos of children were "ignored". MP for Blyth and Ashington
Ian Lavery spoke out in disagreement, saying "Criminality is not confined to any race or religion. The vast majority of people arriving in this country want safety for their families, to abide by our laws and to be given the opportunity to contribute." A protest against using hotels to house asylum seekers attracted around 200 demonstrators in
Dudley, with a small group of counter-protesters also in attendance. Another protest in Bowthorpe was attended by hundreds of people who marched through the town and blocked a road. A protest led by a group calling itself 'The Pink Ladies' occurred outside the
Britannia International hotel in
Canary Wharf. They were accompanied by a group of masked men. Six arrests were made. In Southampton, anti-racism protesters confronted demonstrators outside a hotel used for asylum seekers, though both groups were kept on opposite sides of the road by police. On 20 August, around 150 people gathered outside a hotel in
Worcester, with
West Mercia Police saying two officers had been assaulted but were not hurt. Three people were arrested: two on suspicion of assaulting police officers and one for breaching the peace. Two days later, police arrested three more people in connection to the protest: all were arrested on suspicion of public order offences, with one also accused of assaulting an emergency worker and another for racially aggravated harassment. On 21 August, another protest took place at a hotel in Bowthorpe, where two men connected to the hotel were arrested on suspicion of public order offences. The weekend preceding the
August Bank Holiday, which is on 25 August, saw another wave of protests across the country starting on 22 August. Protests were advertised for at least 26 hotels housing migrants, with SUTR organising 15 counter-protests; combined with other concurrent events including the
Notting Hill Carnival and a number of
Premier League matches, a number of police forces were under increased pressure. On 22 August, protesters gathered outside the
Portsmouth Civic Offices and faced off with counter-protesters. Another protest took place in Chichester, with 100 protesters and 30 counter-protesters in attendance. A protest and counter-protest took place outside a hotel in
Orpington, whilst around 250 anti-immigration demonstrators gathered at a hotel in
Cheshunt and blocked the
A10 road as they set off flares. Smaller protests took place at hotels which had already seen demonstrations in Altrincham, Rhoose and Seacroft. On 23 August, around 200 people protested outside a hotel in
Westhill, with a significant but smaller number of people attending a counter-protest. Around 150 people gathered outside the
Radisson Blu hotel in
Perth, with around 250 people attending a counter-protest across the street. Anti-asylum protesters and counter-protesters clashed at another protest in Newcastle, with police having to keep the groups separated. In
Chadderton, around 150 anti-immigration protesters faced off with 20 counter-protesters. A protest organised by
UKIP in Liverpool city centre saw more than 400 demonstrators attend, with counter-protests from SUTR and Merseyside Anti-Fascist Network totalling a few hundred people also taking place; 11 people were arrested for offences including affray, assault and drunk and disorderly. A large group of people gathered for a peaceful protest outside a hotel in
Woolston. Around 300 people attended a protest in
Mold opposing plans to house asylum seekers in the town, with around 40 counter-protesters also attending. A small protest took place outside a hotel in
Long Eaton, with a counter-protest also in attendance following reports of some people being abusive towards migrants. A fourth protest took place in Cannock, with many counter-protesters also in attendance as a banner reading "Welcome Home
Lucy Connolly" was unveiled by demonstrators. In
Tamworth, around 150 people protested outside a hotel which had been the target of violent disorder in 2024. A protest at a hotel in
Oxford saw around 40 demonstrators clash with around 70 counter-protesters. In Bristol, around 50 anti-immigration protesters and 250 counter-protesters gathered at
Castle Park, with mounted police having to form a barrier between the two groups as one woman was arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker. Around 200 anti-immigration protesters gathered outside a hotel in
Horley and clashed with 30 counter-protesters, with lines of police having to separate them as three people were arrested. On 24 August, a protest took place outside a hotel in
Stevenage. Another protest in Solihull saw dozens of demonstrators circle a hotel housing asylum seekers. On 25 August, two men were arrested following a "mainly peaceful" protest outside an
OYO hotel in
St Helens. On 29 August, a small protest took place outside a hotel in
Ashford. On 30 August, around 500 anti-asylum protesters from two separate groups gathered in
West Drayton and marched to a
Crowne Plaza hotel whilst smaller groups went to nearby
Holiday Inn and
Novotel hotels. A group of masked men attempted to break into the Crowne Plaza hotel and five people were arrested, with two police officers sustaining minor injuries. In Aberdeen, another protest was attended by around 120 people and 50 counter-protesters. Another protest in Falkirk saw hundreds of protesters gather at the office of
Euan Stainbank, MP for
Falkirk, before marching to the Cladhan Hotel housing asylum seekers where they faced off with counter-protesters; three people were arrested. Another protest in Chadderton was attended by around 100 protesters and 50 counter-protesters. Around 120 people gathered at the train station in
Skegness and marched to a hotel housing asylum seekers, where the crowd grew to over 150; four people were arrested, including a 12-year-old boy. Two groups numbering around 100 people in total gathered at a hotel in
Stoke-on-Trent, where they were separated by police as they faced off. Around 100 people on both sides faced off at another protest outside a hotel in Long Eaton. Around 100 anti- and 50 pro-immigration protesters gathered at a hotel in
Deanshanger which was being used to house asylum seekers. Around 120 people on both sides gathered outside a hotel in the
Barnwood suburb of
Gloucester for an anti-immigration and counter-protest. A protest outside a hotel in
Swindon was attended by around 200 people at its height. Another protest in Portsmouth saw around 150 anti- and 100 pro-immigration protesters march through the city. On 31 August, four people were arrested during a protest in Canary Wharf where a police officer was punched in the face. In the
Fallowfield area of Manchester, around 60 anti-immigration protesters were outnumbered by around 250 counter-protesters, with police having to keep the opposing groups apart. Another protest and counter-protest outside a hotel in St Helens passed peacefully. Police in
Wrexham issued a dispersal order after a protest.
September On 1 September, a road in Newtownabbey was closed after a roundabout was blocked by an anti-immigration protest. In
Plymouth, protesters and counter-protesters gathered outside the headquarters of
Plymouth City Council in opposition of the removal of flags around the city. On 5 September, one man was arrested on suspicion of public order offences at a protest outside a hotel in
Peterborough. On 6 September, another protest took place in Mold with a counter-protest also occurring. Another protest took place in Long Eaton for the third consecutive weekend, with police separating the opposing groups. Hundreds of people gathered in
Faversham in opposition and support of asylum seekers. Around 75 anti-immigration protesters were outnumbered by around 300 SUTR protests in Edinburgh, with a later protest for Scottish independence numbering over 2,500 people. One person was arrested during a protest and counter-protest at
Marischal College in Aberdeen. On 7 September, another protest at a hotel in Fallowfield saw six arrests as protesters and counter-protesters gathered outside a hotel. One person was arrested at another protest in St Helens, whilst three were arrested in Bristol as protesters and counter-protesters clashed. Around 150 protesters and 70 anti-racism protesters gathered at another demonstration in Plymouth. Hundreds of people attended a further protest and counter-protest at the Cladhan Hotel in Falkirk. Both sides were separated by police officers and metal barriers. Police Scotland confirmed that four arrests were made. Police said they were investigating an arson attack on a hotel in Southampton after a flare was pushed through a window, starting a small fire; the hotel was the subject of earlier protests. On 13 September a "stop the boats" protest took place in
Newtown, Powys, where around 400 anti-immigration protesters held a minute of silence for
Charlie Kirk and 200 counter-protesters heard from
Steve Witherden, MP for
Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr, and
Liz Saville Roberts, MP for
Dwyfor Meirionnydd. Hundreds of protesters and counter-protesters faced off in
Dundee, with eggs being thrown as police separated the groups. Also, on 13 September, a demonstration took place in
Ashington where protestors marched to the Ashington War Memorial where participants expressed concerns about local and national issues, including illegal immigration and the preservation of British heritage. Local MP
Ian Lavery criticised the gathering, describing it as a
"desecration" of the memorial after participants displayed a
Patriotic Alternative banner. Organisers of the protest argued that they were "unaware of what Patriotic Alternative stood for and that someone just showed up with the banner". They apologised. Another protest took place at the Cladhan Hotel in Falkirk, where a counter-demonstration was also present. A fifth protest followed in the evening of 17 September. A protest named '
Glasgow Rises Unity Rally' was held on
Buchanan Street in the city on 20 September. The protest was organised by convicted domestic abuser and right-wing podcaster John Watt.
Patriotic Alternative were in attendance with a banner. There was a counter-protest made up of Glasgow SUTR, other anti-racist groups, and trades unions. Scottish newspaper
The National reported that the "Unity Rally" was drowned out by the counter-protesters. In
Canterbury a protest met at the
Westgate, before marching through the city towards Connors House, a former care home in Craddock Road now used by
Kent County Council to house unaccompanied asylum seeking children. A counter-protest was also held, including the local branches of SUTR and the
Revolutionary Communist Party. Local Labour councillor Alan Baldock was with the counter-protest. Kent Police said one person was assaulted and enquiries are ongoing. A group calling itself '
Bournemouth Patriots' marched along Meyrick Road to
Lansdowne. An equally sized counter-protest occurred. In
Plymouth another protest was held as well as an anti-fascist counter-protest. A man was arrested and a woman detained by local police. In
Oxford, a protest and counter-protest were both present outside the
Holiday Inn Express Kassam. In
Basingstoke, a protest took place outside the
Crowne Plaza hotel, Black Dam. On 21 September, a seventh protest and counter-protest were held outside the Cladhan Hotel in Falkirk. Police investigated reports a man was racially abused by a member of the anti-immigration protest. A protest marched from The Norkie pub to the Brook Hotel, in
Bowthorpe, Norwich, and were met by counter-protesters. A 64-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life after a fire occurred at the Thistle City Barbican hotel in Islington on 24 September. The hotel was being used for housing asylum seekers and had previously been protested. There were no injuries and staff put out the flames before police arrived at the scene. On 27 September,
UKIP and hundreds of supporters marched from
Quayside to the city centre in
Newcastle upon Tyne. A counter-protest organised by
Stand Up To Racism also occurred, in which thousands of people took part, while a heavy police presence kept the groups separate. Three arrests were made. North East mayor,
Kim McGuinness was part of the counter-protest. In
Wigan a protest was held under the banner of 'The Great British National Protest' and saw a counter-protest from SUTR and the Wigan Trade Union Council.
Manchester Evening News gave a combined estimate of several hundred attendees. Another UKIP rally, consisting of a group of around nine people, was held on
Margate seafront. A counter-protest organised by the Kent Anti-Racism Network saw a more significant turnout. In
Folkestone, about 30 anti-immigration activists gathered outside Napier Barracks, one man was holding a flag with the logo of the neo-Nazi
British Movement. They were opposed by 100 counter-protesters.
October On 5 October around 100 demonstrators protesting against the government's use of hotels for asylum seekers marched between
Bristol Cenotaph and
College Green in
Bristol city centre. A group of between 300 and 400 counter-protesters had gathered nearby beforehand and intercepted the march, with some physical confrontations following. The police said that the protesters observed the legal requirement to stay in their designated area but the counter-protesters did not. Three people were arrested. In
Gloucester around 75 protesters against the use of two hotels to house migrants in the city marched to the
Gloucestershire County Council offices on
Westgate Street. They were met by around 200 counter-protesters, kept separate by police officers with fencing. One arrest was made. On 11 October an anti-immigration demonstration took place outside the Alloway Centre in
Dundee for the fifth weekend in a row. A large group of anti-racism campaigners also gathered as a counter-protest. Some racist graffiti was painted on the wall of a bridge going over the
Dighty Burn in the hours before the start of the protest before being quickly covered. On 18 October over 100 anti-immigration protesters marched through
Southampton before ending at Highfield House Hotel in
Portswood. They were opposed by around 200 counter-protesters. In
Rochester, Kent, just over a dozen UKIP supporters, including county councillor Amelia Randall, marched down the High Street in opposition to the government and illegal immigration. The march was organised by Roger Hogg, who has arranged other similar events elsewhere in the county. They were diverted from their planned route after their intended path was blocked by a much larger Medway
Stand Up to Racism counter-protest at the Northgate junction. A large police presence generally kept the two groups separate. Among the counter-protesters were Medway councillors Vince Maple and Teresa Murray, and the MPs for Rochester and Strood and Gillingham and Rainham,
Lauren Edwards and
Naushabah Khan. On 21 October, a rally planned by
UKIP for 25 October in
Whitechapel was banned from occurring within the
London Borough of Tower Hamlets, an area with a large Muslim population, by the
Metropolitan Police. The police said that this action was taken due to a "realistic prospect of serious disorder". UKIP's
X account had asked attendees to "reclaim Whitechapel from the Islamists". UKIP accused the police of two-tier policing and of caving in to "sectarian violence" as they believed "far-left and Islamist protest groups" were planning disorder, and changed their plans to instead gather at the
Brompton Oratory and march to
Speakers' Corner. UKIP's march were also prohibited from protesting before 1pm or after 4.30pm. A counter-protest organised by Stand Up To Racism and other local groups remained planned for Whitechapel, and the police further banned SUTR from gathering in an area of central London, including near the UKIP protest. Four anti-racist counter-protester were arrested for breaching this. In Canterbury a second anti-immigration demonstration outside Connors House in as many month was held. A counter-protest was also present, organised by groups including SUTR. Cllr Paul Prentice, who represents Barton ward, attended the counter. On 26 October two marches took place in
Southampton, with police blocking off part of Portswood Road to keep them apart. Several hundred anti-immigration protesters, led by
Tommy Robinson and waving union and St George's flags, marched through the city. Police used powers under the Public Order Act to restrict their route to being from Highfield Lane to
Hoglands Park in the city centre. An estimated 600 anti-racism counter-protesters assembled to oppose them. A second flashpoint at Thomas Lewis Way and Lodge Road saw police holding back the anti-immigration protesters, with Thomas Lewis Way also being closed for a time while protesters passed. One arrest was made on suspicion of throwing a bottle. In
Southport, an estimated 100 to 200 took part in a protest dubbed the 'Southport Freedom March' took place, beginning at Marine Drive. A scuffle broke out between counter-protestors and the police, as the march made its way past counter demonstrators positioned outside Southport Funland. The protesters had lots of union flags, with one flag bearing the slogan Unite the Kingdom and another sign showed support for the fascist political party
Britain First. Counter-protesters chanted "Nazi scum, off our streets". Both groups were surrounded by the police outside the Scarisbrick Hotel. One arrest was made. On 30 October anti-immigration protesters met at the clock tower in
Herne Bay to "back British fisherman", "stop the boats" and "say no to
digital ID". Their presence attracted a large group of counter-protesters, chanting "asylum is a human right" and "refugees are welcome here". A line of about 50 police officers separated the two groups.
November On 8 November a
UKIP anti-immigration march in
Sheffield city centre was countered by a much larger group of anti-fascist organisations, with both groups kept apart by police. UKIP started in
Tudor Square while the anti-fascists set off from
Sheffield Cathedral. Seven arrests were made. On 14 November around 50 anti-immigration protesters met outside Highfield House Hotel in
Portswood, with Southampton SUTR holding a counter-protest of around 100 people. On 15 November an anti-immigration demonstration of about 75 people, of which UKIP leader Nick Tenconi was a member, was held outside the
Mercure hotel in
Redcliffe, Bristol, by a group called 'Bristol Patriots'. This was met by a larger pro-immigration counter-protest of about 400 people, containing organisations such as the Bristol chapters of
Palestine Solidarity Campaign and SUTR. Police separated the two sides, with clashes in the early afternoon between an
anti-fascist counter-protester group and the police who were pushing the group back up Redcliffe Hill when trying to meet the anti-migrant protesters. Five people were arrested, and an officer received treatment at hospital after sustaining injuries. On 21 November a further anti-immigration protest was held outside Highfield House Hotel in
Southampton, where a man was arrested after displaying a homophobic sign. Police said the arrest was made "on suspicion of several offences, including possessing a Class B controlled drug, failing to give a name or address, and using threatening or abusive words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm, or distress." On 22 November an anti-immigration protest called 'British Unity Walk' of about 150 people marched in
Exeter. About 800 people gathered for a march called 'Exeter is for Everyone' in response. The two groups took different routes to around the city centre, Police said the protests were peaceful overall and did not confirm if any arrests were made.
Unite the Kingdom rally (13 September) On 13 September, between 110,000 and 150,000 people gathered in central London for a march organised by
Tommy Robinson called the Unite the Kingdom rally; simultaneous counter-protests by
Stand Up To Racism and local
anti-fascist groups attracted around 5,000 demonstrators. Around 1,000 officers were deployed in the city, with a further 500 officers drafted from other forces, including
Devon and Cornwall,
Leicestershire and
Nottinghamshire. Police said 24 people were arrested following "wholly unacceptable" violence which left 26 police officers injured (the Metropolitan Police later appealed for help in identifying a further 28 people suspected of public order offences and assaulting emergency workers at the protests). The two groups clashed on
Whitehall and
Trafalgar Square, where lines of police and horses separated them. Police reported that the crowd was too large to fit into Whitehall, leading to confrontations with officers after some protesters tried to access the area from other routes; many officers were assaulted and had objects such as bottles and flares thrown at them, with one bottle striking a horse. The event was livestreamed by Robinson on
X and at its peak had 2.9 million viewers. The recent
assassination of Charlie Kirk was used to mobilise support for the protest after hundreds of people gathered for a vigil in the city the previous day. During the march, Robinson spoke to crowds and stated the court had decided undocumented migrants' rights superseded those of locals.
Elon Musk spoke to the crowd through a video call, where he said a "dissolution of parliament" is needed and said that "massive uncontrolled migration" was contributing to the "destruction of Britain"; he continued to tell the crowd "violence is coming" and that "you either fight back or you die".
Ben Habib, leader of
Advance UK (one of the event sponsors), led a speech. European far-right politicians, including French
Reconquête leader
Éric Zemmour,
Danish People's Party leader
Morten Messerschmidt,
Alliance for the Union of Romanians leader
George Simion, Polish
Law and Justice MEP
Dominik Tarczynski, Belgian
Vlaams Belang MP
Filip Dewinter and
Alternative for Germany MEP
Petr Bystron also spoke at the event. The New Zealander and Christian fundamentalist
Brian Tamaki also spoke at the rally, calling for all public expressions of non-Christian faiths to be banned. Politicians including
Diane Abbott and
John McDonnell attended the anti-racism march and also made speeches. In response to the rally, described by
The Guardian as "the largest nationalist protest in decades", the Prime Minister
Keir Starmer made a statement to the newspaper: The statement was interpreted by
The Guardian as a welcome change in tone on equality and anti-racism. That it would ease the sense of "crisis" among many Labour MPs at the government's response to the "rapid rise in far-right rhetoric and violence" and the "perma-presence in the media" of Nigel Farage. And it would signal an intent to "take on Farage and the hard right in the language of Labour values". ==Concurrent events==