Once a marginal figure on Britain’s far-right fringe, activist Tommy Robinson drew a crowd estimated at 150,000 to a weekend march in London, leaving the country grappling with the implications of the mainstreaming of extremist politics. The event, which took place on September 13, sent shockwaves through the media and political establishment, highlighting deepening societal divisions and the potency of a populist message resonating across class and regional lines.

Robinson’s ability to mobilize such a massive turnout is particularly striking given his controversial reputation, criminal record, and history of aggressive behavior. Experts point to a “perfect storm” of factors that enabled this surge in support. Matthew Feldman, visiting professor at Liverpool Hope University and a specialist in far-right extremism, explained that the timing of the march coincided with multiple issues already inflaming public sentiment.

The march occurred against a backdrop of widespread frustration over migration, particularly the arrival of small boats carrying migrants across the English Channel. Public anger had been further inflamed by the housing of asylum seekers in local hotels and a growing debate over freedom of speech. Economic stagnation, coupled with broader anxieties about social change, also created fertile ground for a message that promised a return to traditional British values.

“The angry protests outside asylum hotels are now metastasizing into a simpler, broader message: stop immigration, defend free speech, revive Christianity,” wrote Trevor Phillips, former head of the Commission for Racial Equality, in The Times following the march. Phillips described this “trinity” of issues as particularly compelling to a population feeling disoriented and frustrated with contemporary political and social developments.

Beyond societal grievances, Robinson’s success was........

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