List of protests in the United Kingdom

Last updated

Protesting against George W. Bush in 2008 UK Anti Bush visit protest (retouched).jpg
Protesting against George W. Bush in 2008

This is a list of protests and protest movements in the United Kingdom. Protest in the UK has concerned issues such as suffrage in the 19th and early 20th centuries, parliamentary reform from the Chartists to the present day, poverty, wages and working conditions, fuel prices, war, human rights, immigration (both for and against), fathers' rights, LGBTQ rights and climate change. In Northern Ireland, protest marches have been particularly contentious, including Bloody Sunday.

Contents

Around April 2019 London's Metropolitan Police decided, as a matter of policy, to stop providing crowd estimates unless there were specific reasons to do so (criminal justice, national security). [1] This policy appears to have been reversed in late 2023, with the media reporting official police estimates for crowds from October that year, as shown in the table.

By size

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by editing the page to add missing items, with references to reliable sources.

Entries are sorted by the organisers’ estimate of attendance (descending).[ why? ]

DateProtestCauseOrganisersLocationAttendance
Organisers' estimatePolice estimateThird-party estimates
15 February 2003 Stop the War Iraq War Stop the War Coalition (StWC)London1,500,000 [2] 750,000 [3] "around a million" [4]
23 March 2019 Put it to the People march Second EU referendum People's Vote, European Movement UK, Open Britain London1,000,000 [5] 312,000 to 400,000 [6] [7]
19 October 2019 Let Us Be Heard Second EU referendum People's Vote, European Movement UK, Open Britain London1,000,000 [8] 105,000 to 216,000 [9]
11 November 2023 PSC March for Palestine Gaza war Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) London800,000 [10] 300,000 [10]
20 October 2018 People's Vote march Second EU referendum People's Vote, European Movement UK, Open Britain London700,000 [11] 250,000 [12] 450,000 [13]
11 October 2025 PSC March for Palestine Gaza war Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) London600,000 [14]
26 March 2011 March for the Alternative Austerity Trades Union Congress (TUC)London500,000 [15] 250,000 (more than) [16]
13 September 2025 Unite the Kingdom Racism & Fascism Tommy Robinson London110,000 [17] up to 150,000 [18] , 56,000-76,000 [19] [ better source needed ]
28 October 2023PSC March for Palestine Gaza war Palestine Solidarity Campaign London50,000 to 70,000 [20]
22 March 2003 Stop the War Iraq War Stop the War Coalition, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) London500,000 (StWC), 200,000-300,000 (CND) [21] 200,000 [21]
23 September 2002 Liberty & Livelihood Hunting and countryside causes Countryside Alliance London407,791 [22] 400,000 [22]
22 October 1983CND march for peace Nuclear weapons Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament London400,000 [23] 200,000 [24]
24 September 2002 Stop the War Iraq War Stop the War Coalition, Muslim Association of Britain (MAB) London400,000 [25] 150,000 [25] [26]
21 October 2023PSC March for Palestine Gaza war Palestine Solidarity Campaign London100,000 [27]
25 November 2023PSC March for Palestine Gaza war Palestine Solidarity Campaign London45,000 [28]
17 February 2024PSC March for Palestine Gaza war Palestine Solidarity Campaign London30,000 [29]
24 October 1981CND march for peace Nuclear weapons Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament London250,000 [30]
13 July 2018 Stop Trump Trump's visit to the UK VariousLondon250,000 [31]
2 July 2005 Make Poverty History Raise awareness of global povertyVarious, coordinated by British Overseas NGOs for Development (bond)Edinburgh225,000 [32] 225,000 [32] 225,000 [32]
23 November 1985 Ulster Says No Anglo-Irish Agreement Democratic Unionist Party, Ulster Unionist Party Belfast203,000 [33] 100,000 [34]
18 November 2003 George W. Bush's state visit to the UK George W. Bush's Foreign Policy (Bush Doctrine) Stop the War Coalition, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament,Muslim Association of Britain London200,000 [35] 100,000 [35]
3 February 2024PSC March for Palestine Gaza war Palestine Solidarity Campaign London20,000 [36]
30 March 2024PSC March for Palestine Gaza war Palestine Solidarity Campaign London200,000 [37]
31 March 1990 1990 Poll tax protest Poll tax All Britain Anti-Poll Tax Federation London200,000 [38]
22 May 2021PSC March for Palestine 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis Palestine Solidarity Campaign London180,000 [39]
26 March 2022UK with Ukraine Russian invasion of Ukraine European Movement UK, Mayor of London London"tens of thousands" [40]
1 April 1961 Aldermaston Marches Nuclear weapons Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament London to Berkshire150,000[ citation needed ]
31 January 20092009 BTF protest Tamil genocide Sri Lanka's genocide of Tamils British Tamils Forum London150,000 [41] 50,000 [42]
26 November 2023 March Against Antisemitism Rise in antisemitism Campaign Against Antisemitism London100,000 [43] 50,000 [44]
9 December 2023PSC March for Palestine Gaza war Palestine Solidarity Campaign London40,000 [45]
17 March 1968Grosvenor Square peace march Vietnam War Vietnam Solidarity Campaign London100,000 [46] 20,000 [47] [ better source needed ]10,000 [48]
18 November 2001 Stop the war Afghanistan War Stop the War Coalition London100,000 [49] 15,000 [49]
6 November 2021 COP26 Nature Day march & rally Climate change COP26 CoalitionGlasgow100,000 [50]
19 September 2019 September 2019 Youth Climate Strikes Climate change UK Student Climate Network London100,000 [51]
23 June 2018 People's Vote March Second EU referendum People's Vote, European Movement UK, Open Britain London100,000 [52]
26 July 2025Trans Pride Trans rights London Trans+ Pride London100,000 [53]
18 March 2006 Stop British involvement in the Iraq War Iraq War Stop the War Coalition, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament,Muslim Association of Britain London80,000-100,000 [54] 15,000 [54]
15 February 2003 Stop the War Iraq War Stop the War Coalition Glasgow80,000 (more than) [55] 30,000 [55] 100,000 [56]
4 June 2019Stop Trump Trump's State Visit to the UK Stop Trump coalitionLondon75,000 [57]
28 March 1959Aldermaston march Nuclear weapons Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament London to Berkshire60,000[ citation needed ]
10 November 2010 Fund Our Future: Stop Education Cuts Education cuts National Union of Students London52,000 [58]
28 March 2009 March for Jobs, Justice & Climate 2009 G20 London summit Put People First London35,000 [59] 35,000 [59]
28 February 2020Climate Strike Climate change Bristol Youth Strike 4 ClimateBristol30,000 [60] 15,000 [60]
16 May 1832Meeting of the Unions Suffrage Birmingham Political Union Birmingham200,000 [61] [62]
4 October 1936 Battle of Cable Street Anti-fascist response to the British Union of Fascists march.Various anti-fascist groups:

Communists (Communist Party of Great Britain),Socialists, Trade unionists, Anarchists, British Jews, Independent Labour Party

London100,000 [63] -310,000 [64]
16 August 1819Gathering at Peterloo (leads to the Peterloo Massacre)Reform parliamentary representationManchester Patriotic UnionManchester60,000 [65]
10 January 2009 Ceasefire in Gaza Gaza War (2008–2009) Stop the War Coalition, British Muslim Initiative, Palestine Solidarity Campaign London20,000 [66] 50,000 [66]

By cause

Suffrage and democracy

A British suffragette British suffragette clipped.jpg
A British suffragette

Poverty

Make Poverty History marchers in Edinburgh in 2005 Makepovhistory edin rjl.jpg
Make Poverty History marchers in Edinburgh in 2005

Labour disputes

Miners' strike rally in London, 1984 Miners strike rally London 1984.jpg
Miners' strike rally in London, 1984
Picket outside BBC Bristol in 2006 20050523 012 bristol bbc picket.jpg
Picket outside BBC Bristol in 2006
See Category:Labour disputes in the United Kingdom

Rights

Race and immigration

March against the National Front in Brick Lane, 1978 1978.06 Brick Lane.JPG
March against the National Front in Brick Lane, 1978
See also Category:Race riots in the United Kingdom

Taxation

Anti-Poll Tax graffiti No to the Poll Tax grafitti.jpg
Anti-Poll Tax graffiti

Environment

Flash mob protest at Heathrow Terminal 5 Anti Heathrow expansion protesters 1.JPG
Flash mob protest at Heathrow Terminal 5

Animal rights

War

Protesters against the war on Iraq Big ben protesters.jpg
Protesters against the war on Iraq

Nuclear

Religion

Protest by Anonymous in London in 2008 against Scientology London Mar 15 2008 CoS protest AB 3.JPG
Protest by Anonymous in London in 2008 against Scientology

Art and culture

Stuckist demonstration outside the White Cube gallery Stuckists Death of Conceptual Art demo.jpg
Stuckist demonstration outside the White Cube gallery

Foreign policy

Pro-Tibet protesters at Olympic torch relay in London in 2008 Pro-Tibet protesters at Olympic torch relay in London 2008.jpg
Pro-Tibet protesters at Olympic torch relay in London in 2008

Anti-capitalist/anti-globalisation

Black bloc at the 2009 G20 protests G20 anarchists.jpg
Black bloc at the 2009 G20 protests

Troubles in Northern Ireland

Memorial march in 2007 for Bloody Sunday Free Derry Bloody Sunday memorial march.jpg
Memorial march in 2007 for Bloody Sunday

Other

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Methodology used and current estimates for Marches - a Freedom of Information request to Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)". WhatDoTheyKnow. 20 October 2019. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  2. ↑ "UK's 'biggest peace rally'". The Guardian. 15 February 2003. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  3. ↑ "'Million' march against Iraq war". 16 February 2003. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  4. ↑ "Anti-war rally makes its mark". 19 February 2003. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  5. ↑ "'1 million' Put It To The People protesters stage historic rally for a second referendum". The Independent. 23 March 2019. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  6. ↑ "We counted the people on the Brexit march so you don't have to". Wired UK. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  7. ↑ "There almost certainly weren't a million people on the People's Vote march". Full Fact. 25 March 2019. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  8. ↑ "March organisers hail 'one of the greatest protest marches in British history'". The Guardian. 19 October 2019. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  9. ↑ "No evidence that People's Vote march had over two million people". Full Fact. 21 October 2019. Retrieved 28 October 2023. The article cites estimates calculated using two methodologies by researchers at Manchester Metropolitan University. It also mentions a hypothetical figure of 400,000 arrived at by assuming the assembly area and the march route were both full at the same time, when in reality the assembly area was "fairly empty" during the march.
  10. 1 2 Holden, Michael. "London police arrest dozens as pro-Palestinian rally draws counter-protests". Reuters. Archived from the original on 11 November 2023. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  11. ↑ Toby Helm, Michael Savage and Eleni Courea, "Almost 700,000 march to demand ‘people’s vote’ on Brexit deal", The Guardian , 20 October 2018. Retrieved 11 November 2023. The organisers initially estimated 570,000 then revised up to 670,000. When media outlets started rounding to 700,000, the organisers adopted this "new" estimate as their own.
  12. ↑
  13. ↑ "Did 670,000 march for a People's Vote on Brexit?". Full Fact. 24 October 2018. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  14. ↑ Zaid, Qazi. "More than half a million march in London to demand lasting peace in Gaza" . Retrieved 11 October 2025.
  15. ↑ "A peaceful protest. The inevitable aftermath". The Independent. 27 March 2011. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  16. ↑ "Anti-cuts march: Tens of thousands at London protest". BBC News. 26 March 2011. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  17. ↑ Ahmed, Aneesa; Sedghi, Amy; Mackay, Hamish; Sedghi, Aneesa Ahmed (now); Amy; Mackay (earlier), Hamish (13 September 2025). "Bottles thrown at police as 100 officers clash with 'unite the kingdom' marchers – UK politics live as it happened". the Guardian– via www.theguardian.com.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  18. ↑ "Dozens of officers injured as up to 150,000 join Tommy Robinson rally". BBC. 14 September 2025. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
  19. ↑ O'Brien, Lotti; Haghani, Professor Milad (15 September 2025). "I'm an expert on crowd sizes – this is how many I think were at Tommy Robinson rally". Daily Express. Archived from the original on 15 September 2025. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
  20. ↑ "Hundreds of thousands rally across cities to support Palestinians". Reuters. 28 October 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  21. 1 2 "Thousands at anti-war rallies". 23 March 2003. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
  22. 1 2 "400,000 bring rural protest to London". The Guardian. 23 September 2002. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  23. ↑ "400,000 marched for peace". 19 October 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  24. ↑ "1983: CND march attracts biggest ever crowd". 22 October 1983. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  25. 1 2 "Protesters stage anti-war rally". 28 September 2002. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
  26. ↑ "CNN.com - London and Rome host anti-war rallies - Sep. 28, 2002". CNN. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
  27. ↑ "About 100,000 turn out in London for pro-Palestine rally". The Guardian. 21 October 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  28. ↑ "Tens of thousands join pro-Palestinian march in central London". Reuters. 25 November 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  29. ↑ "Twelve people arrested at pro-Palestine demonstration in London". Sky News. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  30. ↑ "1981: CND rally attracts thousands". 24 October 1981. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  31. ↑ "Donald Trump visit: London protesters stage 'one of UK's biggest rallies in years'". Sky News. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  32. 1 2 3 "Thousands flock to poverty march". 2 July 2005. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  33. ↑ "CAIN: Events: Anglo-Irish Agreement: The Task Force Report: An End to Drift, 16 June 1987". cain.ulster.ac.uk. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  34. ↑ "CAIN: Events: Anglo-Irish Agreement - Chronology of events". cain.ulster.ac.uk. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  35. 1 2 "2003: High security as Bush visits UK". 18 November 2003. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
  36. ↑ "Thousands join pro-Palestine marches in London and Edinburgh". The Guardian. 3 February 2024. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  37. ↑ "Four arrested as 200,000 attend pro-Palestine march in London". The Guardian. 31 March 2024.
  38. ↑ "The National Archives - Revolt: The story of England's first protest | The National Archives". Archives Media Player. 15 January 2020. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  39. ↑ "Thousands gather in London for Palestine solidarity march". The Guardian. 22 May 2021. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  40. ↑ Townsend, Mark; editor, Mark Townsend Home affairs (26 March 2022). "Tens of thousands gather in London to show solidarity with Ukraine". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 September 2025.{{cite news}}: |last2= has generic name (help)
  41. ↑ "Over 100,000 demonstrate in London against Sri Lankan war". World Socialist Web Site. 2 February 2009. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  42. ↑ "TamilNet". tamilnet.com. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  43. ↑ "Thousands march against antisemitism in London". BBC News. 26 November 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  44. ↑ "March against antisemitism draws 50,000 in London". Reuters. 26 November 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  45. ↑ "Tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters march through London in support of Gaza ceasefire". Sky News. 9 December 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  46. ↑ Vietnam Demonstrations (1968), 13 April 2014, retrieved 2 November 2023
  47. ↑ "Anti Vietnam War – story". Special Branch Files Project. 12 November 2015. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  48. ↑ "1968: Anti-Vietnam demo turns violent". 17 March 1968. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  49. 1 2 "100,000 demonstrate in London to demand end to war in Afghanistan". World Socialist Web Site. 20 November 2001. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  50. ↑ "Tens of thousands march to demand climate action on biggest day of protests at climate summit". Sky News. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  51. ↑ Taylor, Matthew; Watts, Jonathan (20 September 2019). "'Enough is enough': biggest-ever climate protest sweeps the UK". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  52. ↑ O'Carroll, Lisa; Gayle, Damien (23 June 2018). "Anti-Brexit protest: estimated 100,000 march two years after vote". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  53. ↑ McCarthy, James (27 July 2025). "London Trans+ Pride brings 100,000 people to the streets". BBC News. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
  54. 1 2 "Thousands join anti-war protest". 18 March 2006. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
  55. 1 2 "Organisers hail anti-war protest". 15 February 2003. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  56. ↑ "15 February 2003: the world against the war". Socialist Worker. 12 February 2013. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  57. ↑ "While Thousands March, President Trump Dismisses London Protests as 'Fake News'". Time. 4 June 2019. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  58. ↑ "Violence at Tory HQ overshadows student fees protest". BBC News. 10 November 2010. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  59. 1 2 "G20 protest: Thousands march for 'jobs, justice and climate'". The Guardian. 28 March 2009. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  60. 1 2 "Greta Thunberg in Bristol: thousands turn out for climate strike". The Guardian. 28 February 2020. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  61. ↑ "TUC | History Online". unionhistory.info. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  62. ↑ "Image of The Meeting of the Unions on Newhall Hill, Birmingham, 16th by Haydon, Benjamin Robert (1786-1846)". www.bridgemanimages.com. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  63. ↑ "The Guardian 05 Oct 1936, page 11". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  64. ↑ "Daily Chronicle, cited in a TUC Book on Cable Street" (PDF). p. 11-12. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  65. ↑ "The Peterloo massacre: what was it and what did it mean?". The Guardian. 16 August 2019. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  66. 1 2 "UK protesters call for Gaza peace". 10 January 2009. Retrieved 20 February 2024.

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