Londoners were told they should not avoid the capital on Saturday despite the risk of clashes between thousands of supporters of Tommy Robinson and counter-demonstrators, as the Metropolitan Police mobilised more than 1,600 officers to police two high-profile protests alongside a busy slate of football fixtures.
Commander Clair Haynes, who is overseeing the policing operation, said the force would seek to keep demonstrators from the Unite the Kingdom march, organised by Stephen Yaxley Lennon, known as Tommy Robinson, separate from activists taking part in a March Against Fascism organised by Stand Up To Racism. Haynes said officers recognise concerns among London’s Muslim communities but advised that people should feel able to travel into and around the city.
The policing plan, the Met said, includes a large sterile area created by barriers to keep the two groups apart and officers deployed across march routes to minimise the risk of disorder. Demonstrators for the Unite the Kingdom march have been instructed to form up on Stamford Street near Waterloo Bridge and will march towards the southern end of Whitehall. Counter-protesters are due to gather in Russell Square from midday and will march via Kingsway, Aldwych and the Strand to the northern end of Whitehall for a rally.
The force has placed strict conditions under the Public Order Act on where and when campaigners can protest. Police said participants in the Unite the Kingdom march must follow an agreed route and are barred from entering the emergency access lane on Westminster Bridge to ensure a path for ambulances and other emergency vehicles.
Saturday’s operation is complicated by a busy sporting calendar, the Met said. Officers will also police West Ham versus Tottenham, Brentford versus Chelsea, Charlton versus Millwall in the Championship, and other fixtures that will see thousands of supporters move across the city. The Met has requested and received mutual aid from other forces, with about 500 officers expected to bolster London numbers.
"This will be a very busy day with protest, sporting fixtures, concerts and other events," Haynes said. "The Met is used to delivering the sort of complex and large-scale policing operation that is required to keep the public safe, and we have a detailed plan to do so on Saturday. I am grateful to the many hundreds of Met officers who are being deployed away from their day-to-day roles and to the 500 or so officers from around the country who have responded to our request for support."
Haynes said policing would be conducted "without fear or favour," allowing people to exercise lawful rights while being robust in dealing with disorder or offence. She urged protesters to be considerate of the communities they pass through and warned officers would take a firm line on behaviour that was discriminatory or that crossed into hate crime.
Robinson, 42, has described the Unite the Kingdom event as the UK’s "biggest free speech festival" and said thousands were expected, adding that "the football lads are coming from everywhere." Stand Up To Racism has organised counter-protests under the March Against Fascism banner, citing concern about Robinson’s history of anti-Islam rhetoric.
In advance of the day, the Met said it had been in close contact with organisers, local businesses, community representatives and representatives of communities across London. Officers encouraged anyone who felt concerned while out and about to speak with officers on the ground.
The police operation's immediate priorities are keeping the rival groups apart, enabling lawful protest, protecting public safety and ensuring emergency access routes are maintained. The Met said it would use barriers and officer deployments to create separation between groups and expected to manage a high degree of disruption to central London travel for the duration of the events.
Members of the public were advised to allow extra time for journeys and to follow official travel and policing updates on the day. The Met reiterated its commitment to uphold the right to lawful protest while enforcing conditions intended to prevent disorder and protect communities across the capital.