What happened
Keir Starmer has pledged that Britain will not yield the national flag to extremists after the largest nationalist rally in decades spiralled into violence in London. Police said between 110,000 and 150,000 people joined the “Unite the Kingdom” demonstration on Saturday, organised by far-right activist Tommy Robinson. Police reported that 26 officers had been injured and at least 25 arrests made for offences including violent disorder, assault and criminal damage.
Who said what
The prime minister said the Union flag “represents our diverse country” and while the right to protest was “core to our country’s values”, attacks on police and intimidation based on race or background were unacceptable, asserting that the national flag “will never be surrendered to violence”.
“What I saw at Saturday’s rally was racism, pure and simple,” said Diane Abbott in The Guardian. The overwhelming majority of the crowds waving flags and carrying crosses “weren’t there for a fight, but they do have a cause”, said Trevor Phillips in The Times. Their message was simple: “stop immigration, defend free speech, revive Christianity”, a “compelling trinity for a country that feels angry and unmoored”. Labour’s “tough talk about ‘stopping the boats’ is falling on deaf ears”, said Andrew Grice in The Independent. “The government must do more to dispel the misconceptions about asylum-seekers put about by its less responsible opponents.”
What next?
Starmer is under pressure to do more to tackle extremism ahead of US President Donald Trump’s state visit this week, where questions about rising nationalist sentiment are expected to be raised. Police are continuing to track suspects linked to threats made against the prime minister during the protest. | 
