Hate on the streets: From Oldbury to London, UK faces rising anti-immigrant sentiment

Two events in Britain this week, seemingly unrelated, have laid bare the raw edge of anti-immigrant sentiment. One was intimate and brutal: the racially aggravated rape of a young Sikh woman in Oldbury, West Midlands. The other was public and defiant: a 100,000-strong anti-immigration march in London led by far-right activist Tommy Robinson. The language that surfaced in both incidents is chillingly similar.

West Midlands Police confirmed that the Oldbury case is being treated as a racially aggravated attack. In an official statement, the force said: “We’re investigating after a woman reported to us that she had been raped in Oldbury in what we are treating as a racially aggravated attack.”

Officers described the suspects as two white men — one with a shaved head and heavy build, the other wearing a grey top with a silver zip. Police later confirmed that a man in his 30s had been arrested on suspicion of rape. He remains in custody as enquiries continue, while officers are still seeking the second suspect.

According to The Independent, the attackers shouted abuse at the victim. One reportedly told her: “You don’t belong in this country, get out.”

The victim, speaking through Sikh Youth UK, later issued a brief statement carried by Sky News: “All I was doing was going about my day on my way to work, and what has happened has deeply affected us… The strength and kindness shown by the right people in the community has been incredible.” She added: “I would never wish this on anyone.”

Local MP Gurinder Singh Josan described the crime as “a truly horrific attack.” In comments to the Press Association, carried by local outlets, he said: “The police are working extremely sympathetically with the victim at her pace who has been traumatised by the attack.”

The Sikh Federation (UK) connected the assault to the broader political climate. In comments to The Independent, the organisation stated: “The current racist political environment is driven by populism and created by politicians playing the anti-immigration card.”

In recent days, hundreds have gathered in Oldbury to show support for the victim. Sky News described vigils where community members held candles, chanted prayers, and demanded justice.

Meanwhile, central London witnessed one of the largest far-right demonstrations in recent years. Organised under the banner “Unite the Kingdom” and led by Tommy Robinson, the march drew more than 100,000 participants, according to Reuters and Al Jazeera.

Police deployed 1,600 officers to manage the rally and a smaller counter-protest of around 5,000 people organised by Stand Up to Racism.

Protesters carried flags of England and Britain, while some held banners reading “send them home.” Clashes with police left 26 officers injured, four seriously. The Metropolitan Police confirmed that at least 25 people were arrested during the march, with more arrests expected as enquiries continue.

One participant, Sandra Mitchell, told ABC News: “We want our country back, we want our free speech back on track.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned both the violence and the intimidation.

“People have a right to peaceful protest,” he said. “It is core to our country’s values. But we will not stand for assaults on police officers doing their job or for people feeling intimidated on our streets because of their background or the colour of their skin.”

The Oldbury assault and the London rally share a dangerous rhetorical thread, the idea that certain communities “don’t belong.”

In Oldbury, the words were spat at a young Sikh woman walking to work. In London, they were broadcast by megaphone and carried on placards by thousands.

The Sikh Federation has already drawn a line between the attack and the broader political mood, accusing politicians of creating “a racist political environment” through anti-immigration rhetoric.

Police data show that spikes in hate crime often coincide with moments of high-profile agitation, whether during the Brexit referendum, the 2017 terrorist attacks, or more recently as far-right groups mobilised against asylum seekers in small boats.

The Home Office recorded more than 145,000 hate crime offences in England and Wales in 2023–24, the majority racially motivated.

For the Sikh community in the West Midlands, the Oldbury case is especially painful. Sikhs have been settled in the area for decades, building gurdwaras, businesses and neighbourhoods. To hear a young woman told she “does not belong” cuts to the heart of their identity as both British and Sikh.

At vigils, community leaders spoke of the fear now felt by young women travelling to work or school. One organiser told Sky News: “This attack was not only on one woman but on the dignity of our entire community.”

The London demonstration, meanwhile, has created a political headache. While Starmer condemned the violence, some opposition MPs have asked whether the government’s own rhetoric on immigration is feeding the anger. Against that background, far-right leaders like Robinson claim to give voice to “ordinary people.”

The rally’s sheer size — over 100,000 in central London — has alarmed mainstream politicians. Commentators noted the movement’s ability to mobilise across the country, with coaches arriving from northern towns, the Midlands and the South Coast. Counter-demonstrators carried placards reading “Refugees welcome” and “Smash racism,” but were heavily outnumbered.

What connects Oldbury and London is not coordination but a climate. When slogans such as “send them home” are normalised in rallies of 100,000 people, it becomes easier for individuals to echo those words in violent acts. That is the concern voiced by the Sikh Federation, which described the Oldbury attack as a symptom of “politicians playing the anti-immigration card.”

The victim herself, in her brief statement, did not use the language of politics. She spoke only of her pain and gratitude for community support. Yet her ordeal has become emblematic of a wider struggle. The struggle to ensure that belonging is not questioned by mobs in London or by attackers in an Oldbury alley.

The words “you don’t belong in this country” are no longer confined to the fringes. They were shouted in Oldbury. They were written on placards in London. And unless challenged, they may echo further still.