Government Bars Foreign Speakers from Tommy Robinson 'Unite the Kingdom' Rally Expected to Draw Over 100,000

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said far-right agitators will be blocked from entering the UK for a Tommy Robinson-led demonstration on Saturday. More than 100,000 people could attend the Unite the Kingdom rally in central London, where police have pledged a significant presence.

The Home Secretary has the power to cancel a person’s permission to enter or stay in the UK and has already blocked seven people from entering for the march.

In a speech on Monday, Sir Keir Starmer said the event was designed to confront and intimidate this diverse country. "That is why this Labour Government will block far-right agitators from travelling to Britain," Sir Keir Starmer said. " Last month, anti-Islam influencer Valentina Gomez was excluded by Shabana Mahmood.

Valentina Gomez gained notoriety through stunts including burning a copy of the Koran and was due to speak at the rally having attended its previous protest in September. Last week, right-wing US figure Joey Mannarino said he had also been blocked having been told his presence would not be conducive to the public good. The same justification was used for banning rapper Kanye West.

The Metropolitan Police will impose conditions on the Unite the Kingdom event. A pro-Palestine demonstration to mark Nakba Day is due to take place on the same day as the Unite the Kingdom rally. Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley previously said he was concerned about the scale of the protests.

Sir Mark Rowley said his force was looking hard at what conditions and powers we should use. The last Unite the Kingdom protest was attended by between 110,000 and 150,000 people. @Independent reported the details of the planned rally, the barring orders and the overlapping demonstrations.

The government actions reflect the authority granted to the Home Secretary under immigration rules to bar entry when a person's presence is not considered conducive to the public good. Sir Keir Starmer's Monday speech framed the planned demonstration as an intentional challenge to the character of a diverse nation, setting the tone for the travel bans already enacted and those still under consideration.