Met Police deploy live facial recognition and new hate speech laws as London braces for rival rallies
Thousands gather for Tommy Robinson’s “Unite the Kingdom” march and a counter-demonstration combining pro-Palestinian and anti-fascist protests amid a massive security operation.
The Metropolitan Police has implemented unprecedented security measures for two major demonstrations in London on Saturday, utilising live facial recognition technology for the first time at a protest. The operation, which coincides with the FA Cup Final, involves the deployment of 4,000 officers, alongside horses, dogs, drones, and helicopters, to manage rival gatherings organised by far-right activist Tommy Robinson and a coalition of pro-Palestinian and anti-fascist groups.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has strongly condemned the organisers of Robinson’s “Unite the Kingdom” rally for “peddling hatred and division,” warning that anyone seeking to disrupt public order would face the full force of the law. The government also moved to exclude 11 foreign far-right agitators from entering the country, including US-based Valentina Gomez, who officials described as known for inflammatory and dehumanising rhetoric about Muslim communities.
In a significant shift in policing strategy, the Metropolitan Police has imposed new conditions holding event organisers legally responsible for ensuring that invited speakers do not breach hate speech laws. The force has adopted a zero-tolerance approach to the events, which are estimated to draw 50,000 attendees to the Robinson rally and 30,000 to the rival Nakba Day and Stand Up to Racism marches.
The security operation comes against a backdrop of heightened tensions, including a recent rise in the UK’s terrorism threat level to “severe” due to concerns over both Islamist and extreme right-wing threats. Police have expressed specific concerns regarding the potential involvement of football hooligan groups with historical links to Robinson, while also managing the logistical strain of the FA Cup Final between Chelsea and Manchester City later in the day.
Two men were arrested on Saturday morning arriving for the Robinson rally on suspicion of grievous bodily harm following an incident in Birmingham where a man was run over. Robinson has urged his supporters to remain peaceful and courteous, asking attendees not to wear masks or consume excessive alcohol, as the government and police work to prevent the kind of clashes that injured dozens of officers during a similar rally in Westminster last September.
