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Police officers were assaulted during clashes with protesters at a “freedom of speech” festival in London, led by far-right activist Tommy Robinson, Scotland Yard has confirmed.
The event, dubbed “Unite the Kingdom,” drew an estimated 110,000 people to Whitehall, according to Metropolitan Police figures.
The large gathering faced opposition from anti-racism campaigners, with approximately 5,000 individuals participating in a counter-protest. Officers from the Metropolitan Police, who were attempting to keep the two groups separated, reported significant challenges.
The force stated: “Officers are having to intervene in multiple locations to stop Unite the Kingdom protesters trying to access sterile areas, breach police cordons or get to opposing groups.”
They further confirmed that “A number of officers have been assaulted.”
Earlier in the day, police also reported that their officers had been “attacked with projectiles and have had to use force to avoid their cordon being breached.”
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Police officers preventing a crowd of ‘Unite the Kingdom’ protesters trying to access ‘sterile’ areas during the Tommy Robinson-led Unite the Kingdom march and rally in central London (Metropolitan Police/PA) (Metropolitan Police/PA)
The two groups were divided by a line of police officers on Whitehall, one side waving placards that said “refugees welcome. Stop the far right” and the other flying Union and St George’s flags.
The “Unite” protest featured speeches on a stage in Whitehall from Robinson and other activists including former actor Lawrence Fox, former Apprentice candidate Katie Hopkins along with musical performers and a group of bare-chested members of the Destiny Church in New Zealand performing a haka.
A sea of flags could be seen in the crowd including the St George’s Cross, the Union flag, the Scottish saltire and Welsh dragon with others carrying wooden crosses with “Christ” written on and singing Christian songs.
Chants in support of Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, could be heard alongside “f*** Keir Starmer” and “Keir Starmer is a wanker”.
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A person with a bloodied face and clothing confronting police officers (PA Wire)
Meanwhile, the counter-protest, dubbed March Against Fascism, chanted “stand up, fight back” and “we are the women, we won’t be silenced, stop the fascists now, now, now, now” as they marched from Russell Square towards Parliament.
Strict conditions have been imposed under the Public Order Act on where and when campaigners can protest, the Met said, with the SUTR event ending at 4pm and the Unite the Kingdom event finishing at 6pm.
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Anti-racism protesters gather to counter an anti-immigration rally led by Tommy Robinson, in London (REUTERS)
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.