Tens of thousands gathered in London for Tommy Robinson's Unite the Kingdom march and a pro-Palestine Nakba Day rally, as police mounted a £4.5 million operation to prevent clashes. At least 43 people were arrested across both demonstrations for a variety of offences, the Metropolitan Police said, noting that while the number may seem high, both protests proceeded largely without significant incident.
More than 4,000 police officers were deployed, with 660 drafted in from other forces for an unprecedented security operation. Armoured vehicles, police horses, dogs, drones and helicopters were also on scene. An estimated 80,000 people attended the marches, with thousands more travelling for the FA Cup final, making it one of the busiest policing days in years.
At the Tommy Robinson protest, demonstrators set off from Kingsway decked in Union flags, chanting 'we want Starmer out' and 'Tommy, Tommy, Robinson'. Many wore 'Make England Great Again' red hats and carried wooden crosses, chanting 'Christ is king'. Robinson called on crowds to get involved in politics, saying: 'If we don't send a message in our next election, we are going to lose our country forever.'
The pro-Palestine rally marked Nakba Day, with organisers estimating a quarter of a million attendees. Placards bore slogans such as 'Free Palestine' and 'Stop Arming Israel'. MP Diane Abbott told demonstrators they faced a 'common enemy' in the 'far right', while Jeremy Corbyn called for a change in 'policy, not personalities'.
