Twenty-five persons were arrested after protesters at a far-right rally mainly against immigration clashed with the police in central London on Saturday.

Twenty-six police officers were injured, the Metropolitan Police said in a statement.

Up to 1.5 lakh persons participated in the “Unite the Kingdom” rally, one of the largest far-right protests in Britain, AFP reported. The event organised by anti-immigration activist Tommy Robinson amplified racist conspiracy theories and hate speech against Muslims, The Guardian reported.

Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said that while several protesters had come “to exercise their lawful right to protest”, there were “many who came intent on violence”.

The clashes broke out after some protesters tried to enter “sterile areas” near counter-protesters, according to the news agency. About 5,000 counter-protesters belonging to trade unions and anti-fascist groups held a march along a separate route in central London, according to The Guardian.

Some protesters confronted the police officers, “engaging in physical and verbal abuse and making a determined effort to breach cordons in place to keep everyone safe”, the statement added.

Billionaire Elon Musk, French far-right politician Éric Zemmour and Petr Bystron, a leader of Germany’s Alternative for Germany party, were among the speakers at Robinson’s event.

“You’re in a fundamental situation here,” Musk was quoted as having told the crowd in a video speech, claiming “the Left is the party of murder and celebrating murder”.

The United Kingdom has a Labour Party government.

“Whether you choose violence or not, violence is coming to you,” Musk was quoted as saying. “You either fight back or you die.”

Ed Davey, the leader of the UK’s Liberal Democrats party, said that he was appalled by the attacks on police officers at Robinson’s rally, demanding action against those responsible for the violence. “These far right thugs do not speak for Britain,” he said.

Davey said that democracy in the UK was “too precious to be a plaything for foreign tech barons”.

“Elon Musk doesn’t care about the British people or our rights,” the MP said on social media. “He only cares about himself and his ego.”

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said that “right to peaceful protest is fundamental to this nation”, but criticised “those who have attacked and injured” police officers. “Anyone taking part in criminal activity will face the full force of the law,” Mahmood added.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said that the violence was “completely unacceptable”.

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