Metropolitan Police Arrest 43 People During Tommy Robinson And Nakba Day London Protests

Tens of thousands of protesters filled central London on Saturday for two rival demonstrations: the Unite the Kingdom rally organised by far-right activist Tommy Robinson and a pro-Palestinian Nakba Day march.

The Metropolitan Police deployed more than 4,000 officers, using armoured vehicles, police horses, dogs, drones and helicopters, while the force said it had put up barriers to block routes between the two marches.

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Police said there were 43 arrests at the two protests and an additional 22 at the FA Cup Final as of 19:30 BST, with the BBC reporting that Parliament Square and Whitehall were “largely clear” of protesters.

In the Unite the Kingdom march, protesters gathered in Kingsway before heading to Whitehall and Parliament Square, with chants of “we want Starmer out” heard as Union flags and “Make England Great Again (Mega)” red hats appeared in the crowd.

Ahead of the demonstrations, Met Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner James Harman said the policing operation would cost the force £4.5m, including £1.7 million to bring in officers from other forces.

The Metropolitan Police said it had arrested 43 people across the two protests for a “variety of offences”, while the BBC reported that the force said four officers were assaulted “fortunately none seriously” and another six officers were “subjected to hate crime offences”.

Met Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner James Harman said the police would not accept routes or rally locations that would increase the risk of intimidation to any particular community or risk the two protests coming together.

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At the Unite the Kingdom rally, Tommy Robinson thanked the Metropolitan Police for “putting their necks out on the line” to facilitate the protest and urged people to leave “peacefully”.

The BBC reported that Robinson called for crowds to get involved in politics, including by registering to vote and joining a political party, and he led protesters in a chant of support for Elon Musk.

On the pro-Palestinian side, Diane Abbott told demonstrators they faced a “common enemy” in the “far right”, adding that the group was “viciously antisemitic” and that “We have to come together… to fight the racists”.

Police said the two protests finished with strict controls on where the marches could go and what time they finished, with the BBC reporting the Nakba protest finished at about 17:30 and the Unite the Kingdom protest was scheduled to finish at 18:00.

The Metropolitan Police said both Parliament Square and Whitehall were “largely clear” of protesters, while the road would remain at least partially closed while infrastructure was removed, as The Times reported in a social media post.

The Met also said live facial recognition would be used for the first time to police the protests, and the BBC reported that live facial recognition was used at Euston and King’s Cross St Pancras.

The BBC said the Met had called the operation “one of the most significant policing operations in years”, and it described the “sterile zone” between the two marches managed by more than 4,000 officers.

In the background of the day’s security posture, Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned, “Anyone who sets out to wreak havoc on our streets, to intimidate or threaten anyone… can expect to face the full force of the law.”