Police made 43 arrests on Saturday amid a crackdown against those spewing hate, as 80,000 protesters at rival demonstrations brought chaos to central London.

Around 4,000 officers were deployed in a ring-of-steel following a £4.5million operation to tackle the Unite the Kingdom rally, led by far-Right activist Tommy Robinson, and a pro-Palestine march.

Fears of violence did not materialise, with the number of protesters at both rallies significantly less than at previous demonstrations.

Although the Unite the Kingdom gathering assembled in Parliament Square, 900 yards from the pro-Palestine rally in Pall Mall, the two groups were separated by a line of police vans and riot police.

Despite Keir Starmer’s pledge to crack down on protesters chanting or displaying anti-Semitic slogans, some attending the annual pro-Palestine ‘Nakba Day’ march – which refers to the displacement of Palestinians in 1948 during the founding of Israel – chanted ‘Death to the IDF [Israel Defence Forces]’.

One woman screamed ‘Smash the Zionist settler state’, while another protester brandished a sign with the slogan ‘Martyrs do not die’ and a red inverted triangle – a symbol to show support for Hamas.

Police said they were looking for a man who held a placard that read ‘hang every ZOG pedo’. Zog – Zionist Occupied Government – is an anti-Semitic slogan claiming Jews control Western politics.

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn joined the march and denied there was any ‘anti-Semitic undercurrent’. Offensive chanting about Allah was also heard on the Unite the Kingdom march.

Police formed a blockade as Unite the Kingdom protesters gathered in Kingsway, London, on Saturday morning

A protester held a mock key with the words ‘we will return’ written on as a pro-Palestinian march marked the 78th anniversary of the Nakba

Police estimated that 60,000 protesters took part in Robinson’s rally, while up to 20,000 attended the pro-Palestinian protest. 

The Met’s operation on Saturday included 660 officers from other forces, with mounted officers, dogs, helicopters and drones. 

Armoured vehicles were put on standby and live facial recognition targeted known troublemakers. 

Crowds chanted ‘Keir Starmer is a w*****’ at the Unite the Kingdom rally. Robinson called on protesters to participate in local politics, saying: ‘Are you ready for the battle of Britain? 2029, we have an election.’ 

Justice Secretary David Lammy accused the organisers of the march of ‘spreading hatred’.

Additional reporting: Adam Pogrund and Andy Crick