Irony on the march: Anti-immigration rallyers in the UK dig into ‘Indian onion bhajis’

At one of Britain’s largest far-right rallies, anti-immigration protesters were seen having Indian street food while waving English and Union Jack flags. The event, led by far-right figure Tommy Robinson under the banner “Unite the Kingdom,” drew crowds of 110,000 to 150,000 people.

Despite the rally’s anti-immigrant message, protestors queued at Southbank Centre stalls serving curries, naan wraps, and onion bhajis. Vendors with names like “Indian Street Food,” “Curry Shack,” and “Naan Wraps” became popular stops, prompting widespread ridicule on social media for the apparent contradiction.

The protest, billed as a “free speech festival,” quickly turned violent. The Metropolitan Police reported 26 officers injured, four seriously, after being attacked with bottles, flares, and other projectiles. At least 24 people were arrested for offences ranging from assault to possession of offensive weapons. Clashes reportedly began when Robinson supporters tried to breach security cordons separating them from counter-protesters at a nearby Stand Up to Racism rally.


Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said, “There is no doubt that many came to exercise their lawful right to protest, but there were many who came intent on violence.”

Far-right leaders, including French politician Eric Zemmour and German MP Petr Bystron, addressed the crowd, invoking the controversial “Great Replacement” theory. Elon Musk, appearing via video link, condemned the British government, warning, “violence is coming to you. You either fight back or you die.” Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, told attendees that migrants had more rights than “the British public, the people that built this nation.”

The rally highlighted both the scale of far-right mobilization in the UK and the contradictions within its messaging, drawing criticism and discussion across social and mainstream media platforms.