Key Points
- Two major protests will take place in central London on Saturday, 16 May.
- Police estimate around 50,000 people will attend the Unite the Kingdom rally and 30,000 at the Nakba Day march.
- 4,000 officers will be deployed, supported by helicopters, drones, dog units, mounted police, armoured vehicles, and dedicated investigative teams.
- Live facial recognition technology will be used for the first time during a public order operation.
- The FA Cup Final between Chelsea and Manchester City takes place at Wembley on the same day, bringing tens of thousands of additional fans into London.
- The Nakba Day march will form up at Exhibition Road in Kensington, travelling via Brompton Road and Piccadilly to a rally on Pall Mall. The Unite the Kingdom march forms up in Kingsway, heading to Parliament Square via Aldwych and the Strand.
- PM Keir Starmer has banned seven foreign far-right agitators from entering the UK to attend the Tommy Robinson event.
- Both marches are subject to strict conditions. Police are also monitoring slogans used, after recent cases saw charges brought for chanting deemed to incite hatred.
- The terrorism threat level in the UK remains at severe following the Golders Green stabbing last month.
This Saturday could be one of the most challenging days London has faced in years. Two major protests, a pro-Palestine Nakba Day march and a Tommy Robinson-led “Unite the Kingdom” rally, are set to take place in central London on the same day as the FA Cup Final at Wembley, prompting the Metropolitan Police to deploy 4,000 officers in what senior commanders are describing as an unprecedented public order operation.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner James Harman, who addressed the media on Wednesday, made no attempt to soften the gravity of the situation.
“Our plan involves the most assertive possible use of our powers, including strict conditions. Thousands of officers will be deployed, taking a zero-tolerance approach supported by specialist resources including live facial recognition, helicopters, drones, dog units, police horses, armoured vehicles and dedicated investigative teams,”
he said.
The convergence of events on Saturday is almost without precedent. The Nakba Day march, held annually to mark the displacement of Palestinians during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, and the Unite the Kingdom rally have both taken place in London before, but never on the same day and never alongside an FA Cup Final. Police estimate around 50,000 people will attend the Unite the Kingdom rally, with 30,000 at Nakba Day.
The additional presence of tens of thousands of football fans heading to Wembley adds a further layer of complexity. There are no professional men’s games in England on Saturday other than the FA Cup Final, which increases the likelihood of football hooligan groups travelling to London.
For the first time under official protest restrictions, organisers of the rallies will face prosecution, as well as any speakers who break the law by using the events as a platform for extremism or hate speech. The Met has also been in discussions with prosecutors about language previously not criminalised, but which could now see protesters arrested. Recent cases have seen charges brought after chanting deemed to incite racial or religious hatred.
For North London residents, particularly those in Camden, where live facial recognition cameras will be deployed, Saturday will require careful planning. Significant disruption to transport is expected across the capital. Residents are urged to check TfL’s website before travelling and to avoid central London unless necessary.
