Two major demonstrations are set to hit London’s streets this Saturday, on the same day as the FA Cup Final takes place at Wembley Stadium.
Around 4,000 officers will be deployed in one of the Met Police’s biggest public order operations, with some 660 officers called in from other forces across England and Wales.
In what is expected to be “one of the busiest days for policing in London”, officers will be on standby to diffuse any violence and stop hate speech at the two protests. The cost of the operation has been estimated at £4.5million.
Protests, marches, and rallies have become regular occurrences in the capital. But this weekend is set to be one of the biggest days of demonstrating yet.
A Tommy Robinson-backed “Unite the Kingdom” protest, which the Prime Minister said is "designed to confront and intimidate this diversity and this diverse country", is scheduled for the same day as a pro-Palestine Nakba Day rally.
The Met has announced strict conditions on routes and gathering points to rule out potential clashes and “prevent serious disruption and serious disorder.” It will also be the first time live facial recognition will be deployed as part of policing operations.
The technology will be used in Camden, where members of the Unite the Kingdom Rally are expected to congregate.
Dispersal orders have also been put in place in addition to Section 60 and Section 60AA powers covering search and removal of face coverings. Organisers have also been subject to policing conditions and will be responsible for their speaker’s speeches for the first time.
The marches also coincide with the FA Cup Final at Wembley, creating further logistical challenges for police.
In September last year, far-right activist Robinson led a previous rally through the capital, which was attended by between 110,000 and 150,000 people, while about 5,000 were involved in an anti-racism counter-demonstration.
Here’s what you need to know about the protests scheduled for London this weekend.
Unite the Kingdom protest
A "Unite the Kingdom, Unite the West" rally, publicly supported by Tommy Robinson, is scheduled to proceed through the capital on Saturday.
Robinson said the protest would promote “national unity, free speech, and Christian values” with some 50,000 expected to attend.
The Unite the Kingdom protest will begin on Kingsway, where demonstrators must remain until the start of the rally at around 1pm.
From there, the demonstrators will march to Parliament Square, via Aldwych, the Strand, and Trafalgar Square.
Music and speeches are to conclude by 5:30pm and the assembly must end by 6pm.
On Monday morning, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said that his Labour government will block far-right agitators from travelling to Britain for the Unite the Kingdom protest.
Sir Keir said: “We will not allow people to come to the UK to threaten our communities and spread hate on our streets."
Eleven “far-right agitators” have been blocked so far. Among those are US-based political commentator Valentina Gomez and Belgian politician Filip Dewinter, both of whom said they should have entered the UK via “small boat” instead.
Ada Lluch and Eva Vlaardingerbroek have also been banned from coming to the UK.
Joey Mannarino, a Right-wing US political commentator, had his e-visa authorisation withdrawn by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, on the grounds that his presence was “not conducive to the public good”.
On Friday, Sir Keir added in a meeting with London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan, that his government “will act decisively against hatred” and anybody who seeks to “intimidate or threaten anyone” can expect “to face the full force of the law.”
In order to keep crowds apart, the Met is expected to run cordons and rolling closures around Haymarket, lower Regent Street, Pall Mall, and Trafalgar Square.
Robinson has called on attendees to not wear masks, drink alcohol excessively, and to be peaceful and respectful.
Nakba Day rally
Also on Saturday, the Stop the War Coalition is planning its annual march to mark Nakba Day, which commemorates the 1948 displacement of Palestinians during the creation of Israel.
The protest, organised by the Palestine Coalition and Stand Up To Racism, is scheduled to start at 12pm, and will go from Exhibition Road to Waterloo Place via Brompton Road, Hyde Park Corner, and Piccadilly.
Speeches and music must finish by 5pm, with the assembly required to end by 5:50pm.
Around 30,000 are expected to be in attendance.
According to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), the march is to “reaffirm our commitment to the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including the refugees’ right to return home.
“We march against the far right in Britain who glorify Israel’s racism and brutality. Our unity and solidarity is stronger than their hatred and division.”
Victims Minister Alex Davies-Jones has said recent pro-Palestinian marches in Britain have been "hijacked" by people seeking to sow division, as the government's approach to the demonstrations comes under renewed scrutiny.
She said that antisemitic activity had taken place during the marches, and insisted the government was prepared to approve bans where necessary - but added that protest remained a "fundamental right" - and stressed that not everyone on the marches was antisemitic.
Met Police said recent attacks on British Jews had given them “significant cause for concern” heading into the weekend.
Speaking about the Palestine Coalition, Deputy Assistant Commissioner James Harman said: "There have been more than 33 large protests organised by the groups that make up the Palestine Coalition since October 2023. They typically involve a very broad range of people whose specific motives and allegiances differ greatly.
"While many come with good intentions and no desire to commit offences or spread hate, many others do not.
"We have routinely seen arrests for racially and religiously aggravated public order offences, for stirring up racial hatred and for supporting terrorist organisations. It is not normal to see criminality of this nature or on this scale at what are billed as peaceful protests.”
Met Police said it had to intervene to change the route for 21 out of the 33 protests.
On 17 of those occasions intervention was necessary to protect Jewish communities because the organisers were trying to assemble near, march past or finish near synagogues, DAC Harman said.
“These marches always take place on Saturdays which is the Jewish holy day, when Jews are attending religious services. This only adds to the fears already being felt,” he added.
