Tens of thousands of supporters attended a Unite the Kingdom rally in London on May 17, 2026, led by far-right activist Tommy Robinson, who called on crowds to register to vote and join political parties while leading chants supporting Elon Musk. The event coincided with a pro-Palestinian Nakba Day march featuring speakers including Jeremy Corbyn and Diane Abbott, prompting the Metropolitan Police to deploy over 4,000 officers in what they called one of the most significant policing operations in years at a cost of £4.5 million. Police used live facial recognition technology for the first time in a protest policing operation, monitoring stations where Unite the Kingdom attendees arrived, and maintained a sterile zone between the rival demonstrations. The operation resulted in 43 arrests at the protests and 22 at the concurrent FA Cup Final at Wembley, with four officers assaulted and six subjected to hate crime offences, though both protests proceeded largely without significant incident.
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