A woman was arrested by police for bringing a real sword to Tommy Robinson's Unite the Kingdom protest in London. The protester, wearing a white hooded cloak, had the weapon attached to her belt in a scabbard. She was heard saying, 'I honestly haven't done anything wrong' during the demonstration on Saturday.
The sword bore the inscription 'Christus Vincit' on the hilt, Latin for 'Christ Conquers'. A witness posted on social media claiming the sword was fake, but the Metropolitan Police confirmed it was a real blade and that the woman was arrested for carrying an offensive weapon.
More than 4,000 officers were deployed to central London to police both the Nakba Day march and the protest organized by Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, as well as the FA Cup final. A total of 43 arrests were made across both demonstrations, with 20 on the Unite the Kingdom protest and 12 on the pro-Palestine march.
Two Unite the Kingdom protesters were arrested for assaulting emergency workers, with additional arrests for drunk and disorderly behavior and criminal damage. In a post on X, the Met shared a clip of officers placing a protester in handcuffs near Euston station, stating, 'One arrest in a crowd requires numerous officers and can involve unpredictable levels of physical and verbal resistance.'
Two men were also arrested outside Euston station: one in connection with an incident in Birmingham where a man was run over, and the second for encouraging people to attack an officer. Despite the arrests, the Met said the marches 'proceeded largely without significant incident'.
The events come amid a wider debate over extremism and whether divisive marches should be banned or have greater restrictions. Sir Keir Starmer said the opposing marches showed the need to 'fight for the soul of this country', emphasizing that values are earned and that everyone has a responsibility to affirm respect and decency.
