Thousands of people are descending on Central London for two major demonstrations that have prompted the Metropolitan Police to launch a £4.5 million operation. The force estimates that about 50,000 people will attend Tommy Robinson's Unite the Kingdom march, while 30,000 are expected to join the pro-Palestine Nakba Day rally.
Massive Police Deployment
Armoured vehicles, police horses, dogs, drones, and helicopters will be deployed along with around 4,000 officers in a bid to prevent clashes between the two rallies. Crowds waving Union Jack and Palestine flags are beginning to gather in Kingsway and South Kensington, respectively.
Statements from Organisers
Tommy Robinson posted on X on Saturday morning, saying, 'today, we Unite The Kingdom and the West in the greatest patriotic display the world has ever seen.' In contrast, Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, stated, 'we’re marching today to show that we will not allow Tommy Robinson and the far right to divide our communities.'
Legal Measures
Prosecutors have been instructed to consider whether protest placards, banners, and chants viewed on social media may amount to offences of stirring up hatred during the rallies. Organisers of the rallies, as well as any speakers who break the law by using the events as a platform for extremism or hate speech, will face charges for the first time.
Surveillance and Security
Live facial recognition will be used, with cameras set up in a location in Camden that is not on the route of the Unite the Kingdom march but is expected to be used by many attendees. There remain more than 50 outstanding and unidentified suspects after violent clashes between police and protesters at the previous Unite the Kingdom event in September.
Government Action
The Government has also blocked 11 foreign nationals described by Sir Keir Starmer 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.
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