On Saturday, September 13, Tommy Robinson, an anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant extremist and founder of the far-right English Defense League (EDL), whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, drew more than 110,000 supporters to London for what he branded a “Free Speech Festival.”
However, the rally predictably devolved into an anti-immigrant event, with the crowd chanting “Send them back.” Speakers promoted xenophobic slogans and invoked the white supremacist “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory. They also called for “remigration,” a euphemism for the forced mass deportation of non-white migrants en masse out of Europe, regardless of citizenship.
Aware of the protest’s impact, described by British media as one of the largest far-right mobilisations in London, Robinson credited its success, both onstage and afterwards on X, to U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, as well as Elon Musk and Charlie Kirk.
The event took place three days after the murder of far-right commentator and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, a tragedy Robinson weaponized for his own ends. In the days leading up to the rally, he framed the event as a way to honor Kirk, a move likely intended to boost attendance. On stage, Robinson claimed that if Kirk had lived in the U.K., “he’d have been imprisoned for some of the things he said.”
Despite his criminal record, the far-right extremist managed to gather over 110,00 people. In May, he was released from prison after serving seven months in jail for defying a court order that barred him from defaming a Syrian refugee. His past convictions include mortgage fraud, entering the U.S. with someone else’s passport, engaging in “threatening, abusive or insulting behavior” during a fight, and live-streaming a video that encouraged “vigilante action” against defendants in a sexual exploitation trial, according to the judge.
Robinson posted on X after the protest, thanking Trump, JD Vance, Musk, and Kirk. Over 19 million views. (Source: X).
Elon Musk was the most prominent international speaker at the event, delivering his speech virtually. Following Kirk’s death, the owner of X seized the opportunity to amplify his incendiary rhetoric against political figures and ideologies he opposes.
Musk Criminalized the Left
During his conversation with Robinson, Musk claimed that it could be seen “how much violence there is on the left,” adding that some left-wing individuals were “celebrating it openly.” “The left is the party of murder,” he declared, promoting political criminalization despite Democratic Party leaders–including Bernie Sanders, Barack Obama and Gavin Newsom– condemning Kirk’s killing. Musk’s statements align with a narrative embraced by the White House and Trump allies, who have used the tragedy to target progressive organizations and individuals and Democrats.
From Washington, JD Vance praised the turnout at Robinson’s protest, reposting an aerial image of the crowd with the caption: “This is INCREDIBLE! Currently over a MILLION people are marching in honor of Charlie Kirk in London.”
Tweet reposted by JD Vance about the Robinson protest. (Source: X).
Musk’s intervention made news headlines for using inflammatory rhetoric and heightening tensions. He told the crowd, “you either fight back or you die,” a remark that was met with applause from Robinson supporters. The owner of X also called for the “dissolution of parliament” and a “change of government in Britain.”
Robinson was clearly aware of the support Musk provided by amplifying racist rhetoric on his Twitter account. A few days after the march, the far-right British extremist tweeted, “If @elonmusk hadn’t created 𝕏, the masses would’ve been spoon-fed the legacy media.” The X post in which Robinson streamed the protest video has already amassed 46 million views.
Another prominent U.S. far-right figure, Stephen K. Bannon, former chief strategist to Trump, was expected at the rally. Following Kirk’s murder, however, he changed his plans. Bannon stayed in the U.S., hosting his podcast and traveling to Arizona, where Kirk lived with his family.
Steve Bannon Absent
Despite his absence, Bannon shared his thoughts on the protests led by Robinson, assuring his listeners that “this momentum crosses the Atlantic, reinforcing a U.S. conservative wave and aligning with Charlie Kirk’s mission.”
Among the American speakers was Valentina Gomez, a Republican political figure, and far-right influencer Don Keith, who took the stage to perform the U.S. national anthem in tribute to Kirk. Other American attendees included Jake Lang, a participant in the January 6 insurrection who received a pardon from Trump, and pro-MAGA influencer Joey Mannarino, a supporter of “remigration.”
Gomez posted a photo of herself on stage, captioned: “Jesus is The Way, The Truth, & The Life.” (Source: X)
Gomez opened her speech saying that “England belongs to the English.” The activist, originally from Colombia, urged Robinson supporters to “either fight” for their nation or “let all of these rapist Muslims and corrupt politicians take over.” She added, “England, they took your guns, they took your swords and they raped your women,” closing her speech to the chant “Christ is King.”
References to the “Great Replacement”
Similarly, Spanish far-right influencer Ada Lluch took the stage, declaring that the crowd gathered in London on September 13 had “one common enemy:” “the political establishment.” Her tweet with the full speech has received over four million views.
This was Lluch’s first public appearance; until now, she had only been active on social media. On stage with Robinson, she claimed that governments are “subsidizing the great demographic replacement of our nation,” urging attendees to “have more babies now.”
Lluch lived in the U.S. between 2023 and 2024. On her social media, she points to some meetings with Trump, including two Instagram photos with him. She told the Spanish newspaper El País that she gained access to the president through her ex-husband, Joey Mannarino. The anti-migrant influencer explained that her ex-husband “is very connected in [U.S.] politics, and through his work with various campaigns,” they were “invited to different events” where Trump was present.
Photo of Lluch and Mannarino with Trump, posted by the Spanish far-right activist in 2024. (Source: X)
As soon as he took the microphone, Tommy Robinson stoked hatred against migrants arriving in the U.K. In his speech, he railed against immigration, linking it to crime, and claimed that migrants have more rights than Britons who, in his words, “built” his nation.
Faced with the large turnout, he embraced the moment. “For the last 20 years, there has been a globalist Revolution. They’ve attacked the family. They’ve attacked Christianity. They’ve opened the borders. They’ve flooded our nations. We are the start of a counterrevolution,” he declared, to much applause.
Clashes Left 25 Arrested
The protest was marked by extremist anti-immigrant rhetoric, with chants of “We want our country back!” echoing through the crowd. Police reported clashes that left 26 officers injured and led to 25 arrests.
This mobilization in London is an example of how Robinson has been able to build extremist political capital while forging alliances with nationalist, anti-immigrant figures abroad.
Robinson has secured international support. Beyond backing from activists in the U.S. and the U.K., on Saturday he brought together far-right politicians and activists from Poland, Romania, France, the Netherlands, Germany, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada.
French identitarian politician Éric Zemmour, president of the Reconquête party, used the stage to defend white nationalist ideas. “We are, you and us, subjected to the same process of great replacement of our European peoples by peoples coming from the south and of Muslim culture. We are being colonized by our former colonies”, he declared.
Eva Vlaardingerbroek, an Identitarian activist from the Netherlands, pushed another racist theory promoted by the European far right. “If anyone can get their countries back it is us, change is possible, remigration is possible, and it is up to us to make it happen. We are generation remigration”, she asserted.
