London protests: What you need to know about Saturday's events

Central London is set to witness two significant demonstrations on Saturday, which the Metropolitan Police describe as potentially one of their busiest days in recent memory. Among the events is the annual pro-Palestine “Nakba Day” march, commemorating the displacement of Palestinians following the establishment of Israel in 1948. This year’s march marks the 78th anniversary and will culminate in a rally at Waterloo Place. Meanwhile, a separate “Unite the Kingdom” march, organized by the controversial figure Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson, will assemble at Parliament Square.

Both protests are subject to conditions under the Public Order Act, with policing efforts enhanced by the introduction of live facial recognition technology, being used for the first time during demonstrations. The policing operation, which overlaps with the FA Cup Final at Wembley, is expected to cost around £4.5 million and includes a wide array of resources such as mounted officers, helicopter support, drones, police dogs, armoured vehicles, and specialized investigative teams. The terrorism threat level remains classified as severe, adding to the scale of the security measures.

The Nakba march will begin at Exhibition Road in Kensington before proceeding through several central London landmarks including Cromwell Gardens, Brompton Road, Knightsbridge, Piccadilly, and Pall Mall. The event’s rally at Waterloo Place will feature speeches and music, which are scheduled to finish by 17:00 BST, with the assembly concluding by 17:30. In contrast, the Unite the Kingdom march, described by its organizer as a call for “national unity, free speech and Christian values,” will start on Kingsway and progress through Aldwych, Strand, Trafalgar Square, and Whitehall, ending at Parliament Square. This demonstration’s speeches and music must conclude by 17:30, with the event ending by 18:00.

To prevent clashes, the Metropolitan Police will enforce strict separation between the two groups with hard cordons and rolling street closures around key areas such as Pall Mall, Haymarket, lower Regent Street, Trafalgar Square approaches, and Whitehall bridges. Approximately 4,000 officers will be on duty, including 660 brought in from other forces across England and Wales. Tactical measures include dispersal orders and powers under Sections 60 and 60AA for searching and removing face coverings. For the first time, strict conditions have been imposed on the organizers regarding the content of invited speakers’ remarks, to hold them accountable for any unlawful extremism or hate speech. Deputy Assistant Commissioner James Harman noted the financial and logistical scale of this policing effort, including the expense of deputizing officers from other regions. The presence of football fans attending the FA Cup Final at Wembley, alongside historical connections between some football hooligan groups and Yaxley-Lennon’s causes, adds an additional layer of complexity to the day’s security planning

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