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Saturday could end up being one of the most challenging days for the Met Police in its history, ITV News Correspondent John Ray reports
More than 40 people have been arrested after huge crowds of people descended on London for two major demonstrations on Saturday.
Both Tommy Robinson’s Unite the Kingdom march and the pro-Palestine Nakba Day rally took place in the capital, with attendees overseen by a huge £4.5 million police operation in place.
Armoured vehicles, police horses, dogs, drones and helicopters were deployed in London, along with around 4,000 officers on duty and live facial recognition systems in use.
A total of 43 arrests had been made between both protests as of 7.30pm, a spokesperson for the Met said, as well as an additional 22 at the FA Cup final.
Four officers were assaulted, although none seriously, and a further six officers were subjected to hate crime offences, the Force said.
Tens of thousands of people marched in London for Unite the Kingdom Credit: PA
Police have not said how many people were in attendance, having previously estimated 50,000 would be at Tommy Robinson’s Unite the Kingdom march and 30,000 would go to the pro-Palestine Nakba Day rally.
Organisers of the Nakba Day rally estimated at least a quarter of a million people showed up, making it “10 times bigger” than the Unite the Kingdom demonstration, they said.
Meanwhile, Robinson said “millions of patriots” had been at his protest, calling it “the largest patriotic display the world has ever seen” on X.
Crowds could be seen waving St George’s Crosses and Union flags at the Unite the Kingdom march, while protesters carried Palestine flags and signs reading “smash the far right” for the pro-Palestine rally.
Speeches at the Unite the Kingdom protest concluded with You’ll Never Walk Alone being performed to the crowd, before Tommy Robinson thanked the Met Police and asked the crowds to “show them some respect” on their way home.
Robinson also led chants of support for Elon Musk and praised Conservative US activist Charlie Kirk, who was killed in September last year.
Many of those who addressed the crowds in Westminster called for Prime Minister Keir Starmer to resign and “unite the West” banners were placed along the march route by organisers.
Actor Laurence Fox and TV personality Ant Middleton were also among those to speak.
Thousands also turned out to oppose the rally, shouting “we will smash the far right” and carrying placards featuring photos of Robinson with the slogan: “Stop Islamophobia. Stop the far right.”
Meanwhile at the Nakba Day rally, former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn told supporters that Westminster needs a change in “policy” not “personalities”, amid an emerging leadership race for Starmer’s job.
Attendees at the Nakba Day rally held signs that said ‘free Palestine’ Credit: PA
“Whatever happens to Keir Starmer, I don’t know if he’s going to survive the coup,” the Your Party co-founder said to the crowd.
He added: “To those in Reform and the far right that do so much to attack us all and attack our communities, your hatred can succeed in dividing people, but your hatred will not build one council house, will not improve one hospital, will not teach one child, will not end somebody’s homeless life on the streets of London.
“The only thing that can change that is a change of economic, social, and international policy – that’s what brings us together.”
Many attending carried placards bearing slogans such as “Nurses Not Nukes”, “Free Palestine”, and “Stop Arming Israel”, and chanted: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”.
MPs Diane Abbott and Zarah Sultana also spoke.
Earlier on Saturday, Justice Secretary David Lammy said authorities would act “swiftly” if protests turned violent.
“The Unite the Kingdom march organisers are spreading hatred and division,” he said.
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn spoke to the crowds Credit: PA
“They do not reflect the Britain I’m proud of. Peaceful protest is a fundamental right and one I will always protect. But if protest turns violent, we will act swiftly, with extra court capacity in place.”
Two men who arrived in London to attend the Unite the Kingdom protest were arrested in the vicinity of Euston station over an unrelated incident in Birmingham, police said.
The Met Police posted on X saying: “Two men, wanted on suspicion of GBH following an incident in Birmingham where a man was run over, were spotted arriving into London to attend the UTK protest.”
Prosecutors have been told to consider whether protest placards, banners and chants viewed on social media may amount to offences of stirring up hatred during the rallies.
The new guidance urges prosecutors to assess whether slogans, symbols or chants may influence audiences online if they are filmed and shared.
There was a massive police operation in place covering both the protests. Credit: PA
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said the revised advice is designed to reflect “the changing international context” and follows separate guidance concerning the fast-tracking of hate crime prosecutions issued earlier this month.
The guidance tells prosecutors to take account of the wider context surrounding protests, including heightened tensions linked to national or international events.
Recent criminal cases have seen suspects charged after shouting “death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)” and “globalise the intifada”.
Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Parkinson said “this is not about restricting free speech” and “it is about preventing hate crime and protecting the public, particularly at a time of heightened tensions”.
Tommy Robinson led chants praising Elon Musk at the rally Credit: PA
The government also blocked 11 foreign nationals described by Starmer as “far-right agitators” from entering the UK ahead of the Unite the Kingdom rally.
Live facial recognition was used for the first time in a protest policing operation, with cameras set up in an area of Camden that is not on the route of the Unite the Kingdom march, but was expected to be used by a lot of people attending the event.
However, the Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner Professor William Webster said police forces could find themselves taken to court over their use of the technology, saying it is not “foolproof”.
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Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner James Harman said the policing operation would cost forces £4.5 million, with £1.7 million being used on bringing in officers from other forces to boost numbers.
The Metropolitan Police Federation said many officers had leave cancelled and rest days withdrawn to meet policing requirements for the protests, adding: “There are not enough of us.”
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