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| 'Unite the Kingdom': Thousands gather in London for protests | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Aerial video shows scale of ‘Unite the Kingdom’ protest | |
| Tens of thousands are gathering in central London for a march organised by far-right activist Tommy Robinson, with a counter protest by anti-racism campaigners also taking place. | |
| Protesters who are forming the "Unite the Kingdom" march are heading towards Whitehall where they will hear a series of speeches from people including Donald Trump's former strategist Steve Bannon. | |
| Meanwhile thousands more gathered in another part of London for the counter-protest, dubbed March Against Fascism, organised by Stand Up To Racism (SUTR). | |
| Around 1,000 Metropolitan Police officers have been deployed in London, with barriers in place to create a "sterile area" between the two protest groups. | |
| The Met said it had borrowed 500 officers from other forces for the day, with police vans from Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Devon and Cornwall. | The Met said it had borrowed 500 officers from other forces for the day, with police vans from Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Devon and Cornwall. |
| Just after midday, the streets of central London around Waterloo were a sea of union jacks, St George's crosses, Scottish saltires and Welsh flags as large crowds of protesters amassed near Waterloo Bridge ahead of the 'Unite the Kingdom' march. | |
| Huge crowds massed near Waterloo Station with people wearing and waving union flags and the St George cross | |
| There were a mix of slogans on the flags including 'Stop the Boats', 'Send them Home' and 'Unite the Kingdom,' and anti-transgender activists are among the crowds. | There were a mix of slogans on the flags including 'Stop the Boats', 'Send them Home' and 'Unite the Kingdom,' and anti-transgender activists are among the crowds. |
| One man carried a large wooden cross with 'RIP Charlie Kirk' written on it - the right-wing US activist shot dead on Wednesday while speaking at a university. | One man carried a large wooden cross with 'RIP Charlie Kirk' written on it - the right-wing US activist shot dead on Wednesday while speaking at a university. |
| A stage has been set up in Whitehall for the speeches, where several hundred people had already gathered by early afternoon. | A stage has been set up in Whitehall for the speeches, where several hundred people had already gathered by early afternoon. |
| They were carrying various flags and banners, and a band was heard playing songs about freedom and Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon. | |
| Elsewhere, thousands of people gathered near Russell Square for the 'March Against Fascism' counter protest organised by Stand up to Racism (SUTR). | |
| Demonstrators held placards reading 'Women Against the Far Right,' 'Oppose Tommy Robinson,' and 'Refugees Welcome'. | Demonstrators held placards reading 'Women Against the Far Right,' 'Oppose Tommy Robinson,' and 'Refugees Welcome'. |
| Counter protesters were also set to march through central London, ending up near Robinson's demonstration | Counter protesters were also set to march through central London, ending up near Robinson's demonstration |
| The group will also march toward Parliament Square - only a few hundred metres from the Unite the Kingdom rally. Speeches are expected by MPs Diane Abbott and Zarah Sultana. | The group will also march toward Parliament Square - only a few hundred metres from the Unite the Kingdom rally. Speeches are expected by MPs Diane Abbott and Zarah Sultana. |
| Ahead of the march, the Met confirmed it would not be using live facial recognition - which captures people's faces in real-time CCTV cameras - in its policing of the Unite the Kingdom march. | Ahead of the march, the Met confirmed it would not be using live facial recognition - which captures people's faces in real-time CCTV cameras - in its policing of the Unite the Kingdom march. |
| It also said there were "particular concerns" among some in London's Muslim communities ahead of Robinson's protest, citing a "record of anti-Muslim rhetoric and incidents of offensive chanting by a minority at previous marches". | It also said there were "particular concerns" among some in London's Muslim communities ahead of Robinson's protest, citing a "record of anti-Muslim rhetoric and incidents of offensive chanting by a minority at previous marches". |
| Cdr Clair Haynes urged Muslim Londoners not to change their plans or avoid central London, but to approach a police officer should they feel concerned while out in public. | Cdr Clair Haynes urged Muslim Londoners not to change their plans or avoid central London, but to approach a police officer should they feel concerned while out in public. |
| She said: "Officers will take a firm line on behaviour that is discriminatory or that crosses the line from protest into hate crime." | She said: "Officers will take a firm line on behaviour that is discriminatory or that crosses the line from protest into hate crime." |
| She added that police would act "without fear or favour" and asked demonstrators to "be considerate of the communities they are passing through". | She added that police would act "without fear or favour" and asked demonstrators to "be considerate of the communities they are passing through". |
| The Met said that it had ordered the Unite the Kingdom rally to end by 18:00 and the counter protest to end by 16:00, in line with when the organisers told the force they expected speeches to end. | The Met said that it had ordered the Unite the Kingdom rally to end by 18:00 and the counter protest to end by 16:00, in line with when the organisers told the force they expected speeches to end. |