Around 80,000 protesters are set to descend on London today for two major rival demonstrations – sparking an ‘unprecedented’ £4.5million police operation.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned on Saturday of a ‘fight for the soul of this country’ as Scotland Yard braces for one of the most significant policing operations in years.
Britain’s biggest force has deployed 4,000 officers to tackle a Unite the Kingdom rally led by far-Right activist Tommy Robinson and a pro-Palestine demo to mark Nakba Day, which refers to the displacement of Palestinians in 1948 for the founding of Israel.
Armoured vehicles, police horses, dogs, drones and helicopters will be deployed alongside thousands of officers as the Met aims to avoid clashes between the two groups.
Also today, Chelsea and Manchester City are facing off in the FA Cup final at Wembley, leaving police fearing some football fans could spill into the rallies after the game.
Thousands of Unite the Kingdom protesters, waving Union Jack and St George’s flags, have already descended on the meeting point this morning to line the streets.
Huge crowds were heard chanting ‘Keir Starmer is a w*****’ and ‘We want Starmer out’ along Kingsway, central London. Police have already thrown an enormous ring of steel around the demo, which has brought protesters from all over Britain.
Police estimate some 50,000 people will attend the Unite the Kingdom rally, which will end at Parliament Square, with a further 30,000 expected to join the annual pro-Palestine ‘Nakba Day’ rally which finishes at Waterloo Place.
The previous Unite the Kingdom protest in September was attended by between 110,000 and 150,000 people.
Ahead of today’s Unite the Kingdom march, Sir Keir said: ‘We’re in a fight for the soul of this country, and the Unite the Kingdom march this weekend is a stark reminder of exactly what we are up against. Its organisers are peddling hatred and division, plain and simple.’
Police are hoping to keep the two groups apart. The Nakba Day march will form at Exhibition Road in Kensington, then go via Cromwell Gardens, Brompton Road, Knightsbridge, Piccadilly, before ending at Pall Mall.
The rally will then take place at Waterloo Place – with organisers told speeches and music must end by 5pm, and the assembly by 5.30pm.
The Unite the Kingdom march, the second of its kind organised by Robinson, will start on Kingsway and proceed to Aldwych, Strand, Trafalgar Square, Whitehall, ending in Parliament Square. Speeches and music must conclude by 5.30pm, and the assembly by 6pm.
Thousands of Unite the Kingdom protesters, waving Union Jack and St George’s flags, have already descended on the meeting point this morning to line the streets.
Protesters gathered early in London ahead of the huge Unite the Kingdom rally
Demonstrators were seen waving flags or draping them across their shoulders
Scotland Yard is set to use armoured vehicles for the first time in 15 years in a £4.5million operation to police the protests. (File iamge)
The yellow route shows the Unite the Kingdom protest with the Nakba Day protest in orange
Ahead of the march, Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, wrote in a post on X: ‘Today, we Unite the Kingdom and the West in the greatest patriotic display the world has ever seen.
‘The establishment has shown their hands early, and clearly don’t want the people united. Tough! It’s happening!’
Kim Anderson, 68, from Norwich, has attended today to ‘rid Britain of Starmer, once and for all’.
She said: ‘I’m fed up of Starmer. This country is a mess. I am disgusted for being called far-Right.
‘All I want is an end to the ridiculous amounts of immigration and billions being spent on people doing nothing to contribute to this country.
‘I’ve had enough. But we are being labeled as being wrong. The double standards in this country is outrageous. I am proud to be part of this country.’
Mother Sandra Dilks, 45, from Epping, Essex, has travelled to London with friends.
She said: ‘This is a massive day. I can’t wait. It’ll be peaceful but loud. We’ve had enough of Keir Starmer. He’s a disgrace and he has ruined this country.’
The Government has also blocked 11 foreign nationals described by Sir Keir as ‘far-right agitators’ from entering the UK ahead of the Unite the Kingdom rally.
Right-wing figures claiming to have been barred include Polish politician Dominik Tarczynski, Belgian politician Filip Dewinter, anti-Islam commentator Valentina Gomez and Dutch activist Eva Vlaardingerbroek.
For the first time under official protest restrictions, organisers of the rallies will face prosecution as well as any speakers who break the law by using the events as a platform for extremism or hate speech.
Offences of stirring up hatred under the Public Order Act carry a jail term of up to seven years.
Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Parkinson said: ‘This is not about restricting free speech. It is about preventing hate crime and protecting the public, particularly at a time of heightened tensions.’
Live facial recognition will be 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 is expected to be used by a lot of people attending the event.
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’.
Met Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner James Harman said the scale of the operation is ‘unprecedented in recent years’ and will cost the force £4.5million – £1.7million of which is to bring in officers from other forces to boost numbers.
Around 4,000 officers are expected to be on duty on Saturday, with 660 being drafted in from forces outside the Met.
Mr Harman said: ‘We are policing two significant and potentially challenging protests in the centre of London, as well as the FA Cup final, which is taking place in Wembley on the same day.
‘We’re doing this at a time of continued global instability and tension, which we know has the potential to fuel tension and play out on the streets of London, the terrorism threat level has been raised to severe, and in recent weeks and months, we have seen a terrorist attack.
‘We’ve seen a sustained campaign of arson targeting Jewish Londoners, against the backdrop of increasing hate crime, in particular antisemitism.
‘So fears in Jewish communities are particularly heightened, but we’ve also seen increased concern more broadly, including in Muslim communities.
Placards for ‘Stand Up To Racism’ are displayed ready for use ahead of the 78th Nakba Anniversary March
Placards with the slogan ‘Freedom For Palestine’ are displayed ahead of the Nakba Day march
2025: National March for Palestine passed over Westminster Bridge and celebrated the anniversary of the Nakba, when around 750,000 Palestinian Arabs were expelled from their lands in 1948
‘Taken together, these factors give us significant cause for concern as we head into the weekend, and require a policing plan that provides us with the most assertive grip on the movement of large numbers of people, large groups, and the potential for serious disorder and other criminality that may arise as a result.’
Downing Street said law-abiding protesters would continue to be protected, but warned that anyone attempting to ‘break the law and create chaos’ should expect to ‘feel the full force of the law’.
Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Police Federation said many officers have had leave cancelled and rest days withdrawn to meet policing requirements, adding: ‘There are not enough of us.’
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: ‘The right to protest is a cornerstone of our democracy. But anyone spreading hate or committing acts of violence will face the full force of the law.’
