JD Vance Supports UK Anti-Immigration Activists
US vice-president JD Vance has encouraged anti-immigration activists in the United Kingdom to "keep on going" following a large demonstration in London.
Vance appeared to express solidarity with participants of a march held on Saturday, where far-right activist Tommy Robinson urged supporters to prepare for the "battle of Britain."
Organisers of the "unite the kingdom" event claimed millions attended, though police estimates placed the number of demonstrators at approximately 60,000. The campaign group Hope Not Hate described the scale of the event as "deeply worrying."
Vance's Remarks at the White House
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday, Vance stated that across the West, there is a prevailing belief that prosperity can be achieved by "bringing in millions and millions of unvetted people and dropping them into your neighborhoods."
"And we simply reject that idea," said the US vice-president.
"To everybody in the UK who rejects that idea, I’d encourage them to just keep on going. It’s OK to want to defend your culture. It’s OK to want to live in a safe neighborhood."
Details of the London Rally
The rally took place in London’s Parliament Square, where Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, described the event as "a turning point for Britain."
During the event, Islamophobic and ethnonationalist hate speech and flyers were distributed among the attendees. Authorities arrested nine individuals on suspicion of hate crimes.
Vance framed his support in economic terms, arguing that mass immigration suppresses wages and negatively impacts working-class populations on both sides of the Atlantic, including lower-income Black and Hispanic Americans in the US.
Background on Tommy Robinson and Previous Demonstrations
Saturday’s march was part of a series of demonstrations organized by Robinson. A previous rally in September drew thousands into London’s streets, during which Elon Musk addressed the crowd via video link. UK police have expressed confidence that the latest event was peaceful.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, prior to the weekend’s march, affirmed his support for the right to peaceful protest but criticized the organisers for promoting hatred and division. His government also blocked entry visas for foreign far-right figures intending to attend.
Robinson has been a prominent figure in British far-right politics for over a decade and has increasingly influenced the American right-wing ecosystem. He co-founded the English Defence League in 2009 and has accumulated several criminal convictions, including mortgage fraud, assault, and multiple contempt of court charges related to filming defendants during active trials. His most recent conviction led to imprisonment in 2024.
Recent UK and EU Migration Policy Changes
Earlier this year, UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced a reduction in the duration of temporary protection for newly recognized refugees from five years to 30 months.
Additionally, the European Union is set to implement a comprehensive new pact on migration and asylum next month. This pact will overhaul procedures for screening, processing, and sharing responsibility for asylum seekers at the bloc’s external borders.
