London Police Deploy 4000 Officers for Far-Right and Pro-Palestine Marches

Metropolitan Police said it is preparing for one of the busiest days for policing in London in recent years as tens of thousands of people are expected to attend two major demonstrations on Saturday. The force will deploy 4000 officers, armoured vehicles, horses, dogs, drones and helicopters to monitor both events.

Extra powers allowing stop and search without suspicion of an offence will apply to both the Unite the Kingdom rally and the Nakba Day march, which will take place along separate routes. Police will also use live facial recognition cameras for the first time at a demonstration, and organisers will be held personally responsible for the behaviour of invited speakers.

The operation is expected to cost the force £4.5m. Deputy assistant commissioner James Harman described the security measures as unprecedented and said the day has the potential to be one of the busiest for policing in London in recent years.

Police estimate that about 50,000 people will attend the Unite the Kingdom rally organised by Stephen Yaxley Lennon, otherwise known as Tommy Robinson. The pro-Palestine march commemorating the 78th anniversary of the Nakba is expected to draw between 15,000 and 40,000 people.

The Nakba refers to the displacement of at least 700,000 Palestinians during the creation of Israel in 1948. A similar Unite the Kingdom rally last September drew more than 150,000 people to Parliament Square in Westminster, exceeding expectations.

Statements on the Demonstrations Prosecutors have been told to consider whether protest placards, banners and chants viewed on social media may amount to offences of stirring up hatred. The new guidance urges prosecutors to assess whether slogans, symbols or chants may influence audiences online if they are filmed and shared.

A leading activist told The Guardian that British Palestinians feel unable to speak openly about Israel’s war on Gaza amid what campaigners believe is a growing climate of hostility around Palestinian identity and activism in the UK. Sara Husseini, director of the British Palestinian Committee, said some were afraid to wear Palestinian symbols at work or display Arabic jewellery and keffiyehs in public.

“We have many documented reports of Palestinians and allies being silenced or punished for wearing Palestinian symbols, watermelon pins, or speaking about the genocide,” Husseini said. She added that many Palestinians felt they were being treated not as victims of mass suffering, but as suspects whose grief had become politicised.

“Cruelty is the word I would use, particularly for colleagues who are from Gaza or have family there, knowing these atrocities are being inflicted on their loved ones day in, day out,” Husseini said. The events take place against the backdrop of a reported rise in antisemitic incidents, including terrorist attacks.

At the same time, tens of thousands of football fans are expected at Wembley Stadium for the FA Cup final.