There were nine arrests, with many more likely, the force said, as violence flared at the protest, which featured a guest appearance from Tesla and X owner Elon Musk.
Around 110,000 people were estimated by police to have gathered in Whitehall, London, for the “Unite the Kingdom” event, which faced counter-protests by around 5,000 anti-racism campaigners.
A stage was set up to hear a series of speeches from far-right personalities and politicians and included an interview between Robinson and Musk, who accorded with the overriding theme of the day by proclaiming the “destruction of Britain” because of “massive uncontrolled migration”.
People taking part in a Tommy Robinson-led Unite the Kingdom march and rally in Parliament Square, central London. (Image: Lucy North/PA)
But, police said, the Robinson crowd was too big to fit into Whitehall and confrontation happened when police tried to stop them from accessing the area from different routes.
A spokesman said: “When officers moved in to stop them, they faced unacceptable violence. They were assaulted with kicks and punches. Bottles, flares and other projectiles were thrown.
“Nine arrests have been made so far for various offences, but many more people have been identified as committing offences. We will find them and they will face police action, even if it is not possible to do so today.
“Officers are continuing to face aggression in multiple locations, in particular at the north of Whitehall as they work to create a safe exit route for those who have been taking part in the Stand Up To Racism protest.”
At one point, projectiles were thrown by Robinson protesters towards the counter-demonstrators as thousands from both sides stared each other down on Whitehall.
A line of police horses faced the sea of Union flags and at one point, a glass bottle appeared to smash against a horse, causing the horse and rider to stagger backwards.
Police used batons to try and push back thousands of Robinson supporters gathered on the top of Whitehall and Trafalgar Square.
As well as Musk, the “Unite” protest featured speeches from Robinson and other activists, including former actor Laurence Fox, former Apprentice candidate Katie Hopkins, along with musical performers.
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It also featured far-right French politician Eric Zemmour, who came in fourth place in the first round of the 2022 French presidential election; leader of the Danish People’s Party Morten Messerschmidt; and Petr Bystron of the far-right Alternative for Germany party.
Strict conditions have been imposed under the Public Order Act on where and when campaigners can protest, the Met said, with the anti-racism event ending at 4pm and the Unite the Kingdom event finishing at 6pm.
Five Premier League football matches are also set to take place on Saturday, including derbies between West Ham and Tottenham, and Brentford and Chelsea.
More than 1,600 officers will be deployed in total across the city, with 500 brought in from other forces, the Metropolitan Police said.
