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List of protests in the United Kingdom

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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.

Protesting against George W. Bush in 2008

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?]

More information Date, Protest ...
Date Protest Cause Organisers Location Attendance
Organisers' estimate Police estimate Third-party estimates
15 February 2003 Stop the War Iraq War Stop the War Coalition (StWC) London 1,500,000[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 London 1,000,000[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 London 1,000,000[8] 105,000 to 216,000[9]
11 November 2023 PSC March for Palestine Gaza war Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) London 800,000[10] 300,000[10]
20 October 2018 People's Vote march Second EU referendum People's Vote, European Movement UK, Open Britain London 700,000[11] 250,000[12] 450,000[13]
11 October 2025 PSC March for Palestine Gaza war Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) London 600,000[14] 100,000[15]
28 March 2026 Together Alliance: March Against The Far Right Anti-racism Together Alliance London 500,000[16] 50,000[17]
26 March 2011 March for the Alternative Austerity Trades Union Congress (TUC) London 500,000[18] 250,000 (more than)[19]
13 September 2025 Unite the Kingdom Anti-immigration Tommy Robinson London 110,000[20] up to 150,000,[21] 56,000-76,000[22][better source needed]
28 October 2023 PSC March for Palestine Gaza war Palestine Solidarity Campaign London 50,000 to 70,000[23]
22 March 2003 Stop the War Iraq War Stop the War Coalition, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) London 500,000 (StWC), 200,000-300,000 (CND)[24] 200,000[24]
23 September 2002 Liberty & Livelihood Hunting and countryside causes Countryside Alliance London 407,791[25] 400,000[25]
22 October 1983 CND march for peace Nuclear weapons Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament London 400,000[26] 200,000[27]
24 September 2002 Stop the War Iraq War Stop the War Coalition, Muslim Association of Britain (MAB) London 400,000[28] 150,000[28][29]
16 May 2026 Pro-Palestine March Nakba Day Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Stop the War Coalition London 250,000[30] 20,000[31]
24 October 1981 CND march for peace Nuclear weapons Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament London 250,000[32]
13 July 2018 Stop Trump Trump's visit to the UK Various London 250,000[33] 40,000[34]
2 July 2005 Make Poverty History Raise awareness of global poverty Various, coordinated by British Overseas NGOs for Development (bond) Edinburgh 225,000[35] 225,000[35] 225,000[35]
23 November 1985 Ulster Says No Anglo-Irish Agreement Democratic Unionist Party, Ulster Unionist Party Belfast 203,000[36] 100,000[37]
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 London 200,000[38] 100,000[38]
3 February 2024 PSC March for Palestine Gaza war Palestine Solidarity Campaign London 20,000[39]
30 March 2024 PSC March for Palestine Gaza war Palestine Solidarity Campaign London 200,000 [40]
31 March 1990 1990 Poll tax protest Poll tax All Britain Anti-Poll Tax Federation London 200,000[41] 200,000[42]
22 May 2021 PSC March for Palestine 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis Palestine Solidarity Campaign London 180,000[43] "tens of thousands" [44]
26 March 2022 UK with Ukraine Russian invasion of Ukraine European Movement UK, Mayor of London London "tens of thousands"[45]
1 April 1961 Aldermaston Marches Nuclear weapons Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament London to Berkshire 150,000[citation needed] 45,000[46]
21 October 2023 PSC March for Palestine Gaza war Palestine Solidarity Campaign London 100,000[47]
25 November 2023 PSC March for Palestine Gaza war Palestine Solidarity Campaign London 45,000[48]
17 February 2024 PSC March for Palestine Gaza war Palestine Solidarity Campaign London 30,000[49]
31 January 2009 2009 BTF protest Tamil genocide Sri Lanka's genocide of Tamils British Tamils Forum London 100,000+[50] 50,000[51]
26 November 2023 March Against Antisemitism Rise in antisemitism Campaign Against Antisemitism London 100,000[52] 50,000[53]
9 December 2023 PSC March for Palestine Gaza war Palestine Solidarity Campaign London 40,000[54]
17 March 1968 Grosvenor Square peace march Vietnam War Vietnam Solidarity Campaign London 100,000[55] 20,000[56][better source needed] 10,000[57]
18 November 2001 Stop the war Afghanistan War Stop the War Coalition London 100,000[58] 15,000[58]
6 November 2021 COP26 Nature Day march & rally Climate change COP26 Coalition Glasgow 100,000[59] 50,000[60]
20 September 2019 September 2019 Youth Climate Strikes Climate change UK Student Climate Network London 100,000[61]
23 June 2018 People's Vote March Second EU referendum People's Vote, European Movement UK, Open Britain London 100,000[62]
26 July 2025 Trans Pride Trans rights London Trans+ Pride London 100,000[63] 100,000[64]
18 March 2006 Stop British involvement in the Iraq War Iraq War Stop the War Coalition, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, Muslim Association of Britain London 80,000-100,000[65] 15,000[65]
15 February 2003 Stop the War Iraq War Stop the War Coalition Glasgow 80,000 (more than)[66] 30,000[66] 100,000[67]
4 June 2019 Stop Trump Trump's State Visit to the UK Stop Trump coalition London 75,000[68]
16 May 2026 Unite the Kingdom Anti-immigration Tommy Robinson London 60,000[69]
28 March 1959 Aldermaston march Nuclear weapons Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament London to Berkshire 60,000[citation needed] 20,000[70]
10 November 2010 Fund Our Future: Stop Education Cuts Education cuts National Union of Students London 52,000[71] 30,000 to 50,000[72]
28 March 2009 March for Jobs, Justice & Climate 2009 G20 London summit Put People First London 35,000[73] 35,000[73]
28 February 2020 Climate Strike Climate change Bristol Youth Strike 4 Climate Bristol 30,000[74] 15,000[74]
16 May 1832 Meeting of the Unions Suffrage Birmingham Political Union Birmingham 200,000[75][76]
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

 London 100,000[77]-310,000[78]
16 August 1819 Gathering at Peterloo (leads to the Peterloo Massacre) Reform parliamentary representation Manchester Patriotic Union Manchester 60,000[79]
10 January 2009 Ceasefire in Gaza Gaza War (2008–2009) Stop the War Coalition, British Muslim Initiative, Palestine Solidarity Campaign London 20,000[80] 50,000[80]
Close

By cause

Suffrage and democracy

A British suffragette

Poverty

Make Poverty History marchers in Edinburgh in 2005

Labour disputes

Miners' strike rally in London, 1984
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
See also Category:Race riots in the United Kingdom

Taxation

Anti-Poll Tax graffiti

Environment

Flash mob protest at Heathrow Terminal 5
See also: Environmental direct action in the United Kingdom

Animal rights

War

Main article: Peace movement § United Kingdom
Protesters against the war on Iraq

Nuclear

Religion

Protest by Anonymous in London in 2008 against Scientology

Art and culture

Stuckist demonstration outside the White Cube gallery

Foreign policy

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

Anti-capitalist/anti-globalisation

Black bloc at the 2009 G20 protests

Troubles in Northern Ireland

Main article: The Troubles
Memorial march in 2007 for Bloody Sunday

Other

See also

References

Further reading

External links

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