A far-right mob warned it would launch a “crusade” on Saturday targeting Tower Hamlets – as locals vowed to protect the community from those wanting to “reclaim Whitechapel”
Thousands of members of the Bangladeshi community took to the streets on Saturday vowing to ‘defend’ their community from UKIP.
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Thousands of counter-protesters took to the streets of east London on Saturday vowing to “defend our community” from a planned far-right protest.
Swathes of locals marched through Whitechapel in a show of force after it emerged the UK Independence Party (UKIP) had planned to demonstrate in Tower Hamlets on Saturday.
Police warned the protest could spark “serious disorder” ahead of the event, with UKIP organisers describing their plans as a “crusade”.
Calling on attendees to “reclaim Whitechapel from the Islamists,” locals took to the streets in a show of force against the far-right.
Images and footage from the scene show the streets packed as the counter-protesters peacefully march down the east London neighbourhood.
One demonstrator urged his community to stand firm as he barked motivational messages through a microphone.
He said: “They came specifically targeting Islam.
Read more: Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood warns Far Right rhetoric ‘getting out of control’
Thousands of counter-protesters attended.
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“They said ‘we are coming on a crusade’, they said ‘we need to take back our streets’.
But he added: ‘Today is a day we unite.”
It comes after the Metropolitan Police announced restrictions on the UKIP march on Tuesday, banning the group’s supporters from entering the borough of Tower Hamlets in a bid to stave off “serious disorder”’.
Commander Nick John, who is in charge of the public order policing operation in London this weekend, warned: “It is our assessment that there is a realistic prospect of serious disorder if it was to go ahead in the proposed location.
“This is in addition to the disruption that two large protests taking place on a key arterial route through east London would cause.”
The local community and protest groups celebrate the UKIP group being prevented from entering Whitechapel.
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He added that “UKIP are free to organise their protest in an alternative location but they will not be holding it in Tower Hamlets.”
Instead, far-right groups were seen in central London promoting the same anti-immigrant messaging.
Officers reportedly arrested at least four counter-demonstrators in Marble Arch.
A group of nearly 100 far-right protesters were seen in central London, many displaying Union Jack flags and carrying signs reading ‘Islamist invaders not welcome in Britain’.
They were led by UKIP leader Nick Tenconi, who was seen with a banner reading ‘Islamist invaders not welcome in Britain’.
Meanwhile, counter-protesters were told they were free to demonstrate in Whitechapel, with the force warning them not to head to central London to avoid clashes with other side.
Organisers Stand-up to Racism said “thousands of anti-racists” turned up to Whitechapel to show their support, while they branded the UKIP protests a failure.
They wrote on X: “Embarrassing turnout for Nazi Nick Tenconi in central LDN today. Just managing 100 far right goons. Meanwhile 200 anti-fascists are opposing them – and more importantly Whitechapel is full of thousands of anti-racists They did not pass!
Embarrassing turnout for Nazi Nick Tenconi in central LDN today. Just managing 100 far right goons. Meanwhile 200 anti-fascists are opposing them – and more importantly Whitechapel is full of thousands of anti-racists
They did not pass! #StandUpToRacism pic.twitter.com/AxNNCa0mzs
— Stand Up To Racism (@AntiRacismDay) October 25, 2025
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, now an independent MP, was in Whitechapel today and wrote on X: “Inspiring to join people of all faiths and none in Whitechapel today to keep the far right out of the East End.
“We had a simple message to anyone trying to divide our community: jog on and get lost.”
Inspiring to join people of all faiths and none in Whitechapel today to keep the far right out of the East End.
We had a simple message to anyone trying to divide our community: jog on and get lost. pic.twitter.com/kIRAEbz9O9
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) October 25, 2025