The pair clashed in a video circulating on social media (Image: X)
Tempers flared at a large demonstration in central London on Saturday when a Muslim woman told a man draped in a rainbow flag to leave, declaring “we don’t want you here” and that “you disgust us”. Video footage from the Together Alliance event, which has circulated widely on social media, shows the man – who appeared to be taking part in a “Queers for Palestine” contingent – arguing face-to-face with the woman in a pink hijab on a pavement near Whitehall.
A crowd quickly gathered, with several people filming on their phones. One man in a striped shirt stepped between them, raising his hand and gesturing animatedly as the exchange escalated into shouting and physical jostling. The woman, pointing directly at the activist, told him: “Get out of here, we don’t want you here. We are Muslims and you disgust us. You don’t belong in our cause.”
The clash occurred as an estimated half a million people marched through the capital for what organisers described as “the biggest demonstration ever against the far right”. Protesters carrying placards reading “No to racism, no to Trump” and “Refugees welcome” made their way to Whitehall under a heavy Metropolitan Police presence.
Organisers from the Together Alliance and Stand Up To Racism claimed their turnout had outnumbered a Unite the Kingdom rally led by right-wing activist Tommy Robinson (real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon) in September, which drew between 110,000 and 150,000 supporters.
Rally co-organiser Kevin Courtney told the crowd: “Our estimate is now that there are half a million people on this demonstration – the biggest demonstration ever against the far right.”
Speakers included former Labour MP Diane Abbott, who described the turnout as “the largest anti-racist march that I have seen in my lifetime”, and UB40 drummer Jimmy Brown, who spoke of working people having “more in common with each other than they do with their elite”.
Protesters in London on Saturday (Image: Getty)
Green Party leader Zack Polanski told supporters: “When we turn up, in our hundreds of thousands, we are unstoppable.” Singer Billy Bragg also performed protest songs. A separate march organised by the Palestine Coalition joined the main route before the groups assembled on Whitehall.
Organisers had described the day as a “peaceful” stand against “hatred and division and racism”. Sabby Dhalu, joint secretary of the Together Alliance, said beforehand that the scale of the mobilisation had “intimidated the far right” away from mounting a significant counter-protest.
As the rally began, however, a small group of around 10 counter-protesters, one carrying an Israeli flag, shouted at the main demonstration. Police imposed public order conditions preventing the joint rally from continuing after 5pm.
The Metropolitan Police said 25 people were arrested across the various demonstrations in the area, including two who climbed the National Gallery columns and 18 Palestine Action supporters who protested outside force headquarters. No official attendance figure has yet been released by police.
The incident involving the LGBT activist highlights tensions within the broad coalition of groups present. Organisers had stressed unity against racism and far-right politics, yet the confrontation appeared to reflect deeper divisions over identity and participation.
Met Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Jon Savell had said beforehand that officers had “detailed plans in place” to allow all groups to protest lawfully.
A related event in Trafalgar Square drew an estimated 20,000 people, with musical performances including former Little Mix singer Leigh-Anne Pinnock.
A smaller march against Christian nationalism also took place. The demonstration came months after Robinson’s Unite the Kingdom events, including one in December featuring a carol concert. Earlier this year, Church of England bishops rejected the use of Christian symbols to intimidate others.
