Tens of Thousands March in London in Two Competing Protests
Al Jazeera
Tens of thousands marched in central London on Saturday in two rival protests — one pro-Palestinian marking Nakba Day and another far-right rally led by Tommy Robinson. Police deployed 4,000 officers, including reinforcements and advanced technology, to keep the groups apart and maintain order, arresting 11 people by midday.
Tens of thousands of people marched through central London in two separate protests on Saturday: one supporting Palestine, held a day after Nakba Day, and the other a far-right rally organized by Tommy Robinson.
London's Metropolitan Police deployed 4,000 officers, including reinforcements from outside the city, and vowed to “use powers as robustly as possible” in what they described as the biggest public order operation in years. Armoured vehicles, horses, police dogs, drones and a helicopter were also mobilised to manage the separate marches, according to the Met.
By 12:00 GMT, shortly after both marches began, police reported arresting 11 people for various offences. Earlier, they projected at least 80,000 participants — about 50,000 for Robinson’s “Unite the Kingdom” march and 30,000 expected for the Nakba Day demonstration. Authorities imposed conditions on both protests regarding routes and timing to keep the opposing groups apart.
Prosecutors were asked to review whether certain banners or slogans might constitute hate crimes and stir aggression at the rallies. Stephen Parkinson, director of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “This is not about restricting free speech. It is about preventing hate crime and protecting the public, especially at a time of heightened tensions.”
The police force, estimating operational costs at £4.5 million ($6 million), warned in a statement they would adopt a “zero-tolerance approach”. That included, for the first time, making organisers legally responsible for ensuring invited speakers do not break hate speech laws.
The UK government previously blocked 11 foreign nationals from entering the country to attend the “Unite the Kingdom” rally. Far-right figures reportedly banned include Polish politician Dominik Tarczynski, Belgian politician Filip Dewinter, Colombian-American anti-Islam commentator Valentina Gomez, and Dutch activist Eva Vlaardingerbroek.
The night before the protests, Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned: “Anyone who intends to cause chaos on our streets, threaten or intimidate anyone… can face the full force of the law.” Starmer, under intense pressure within the ruling Labour Party to resign after the far-right Reform UK party won big in local elections the previous week, accused the organisers of Saturday’s far-right rally of “peddling hate and division”.
Last September, far-right activist Robinson — real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon — drew about 110,000 people to central London for a similar rally claiming “national unity, free speech and Christian values”. Social media X owner Elon Musk spoke at that event, shocking many in Britain by its scale, directness and clashes between attendees and police that left dozens of officers injured.
Meanwhile, the group Stand Up to Racism combined its anti-fascist march with the pro-Palestinian event to mark Nakba Day, observed annually on May 15 to commemorate the mass displacement of Palestinians from their land during the creation of the state of Israel in 1948. The Met said it was using live facial recognition technology for the first time to monitor the protests.
