London’s police department has arrested nearly three dozen people who attended rival protests in the United Kingdom on Saturday.
An anti-Islam rally was organized by right-wing activist Tommy Robinson, while a separate protest was simultaneously held to celebrate Nakba Day. It is an annual day of commemoration and national mourning for Palestinians displaced during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.
At least 31 arrests were conducted during the police operation that covered both protests and an anticipated soccer match at a nearby stadium in London, the Metropolitan Police said on social media around 4:30 p.m. local time. No details have been provided on which side saw more arrests.
The number of arrests could rise depending on a future update from police. Both protests concluded Saturday afternoon after a couple of hours.
Metropolitan Police officials described the security operation designed to handle the day of rival protests as “unprecedented.” Roughly 4,000 officers were deployed for the operation.
The police department revealed that planning for the large number of people in one area had been underway for months.
“As part of that planning, we have been in ongoing discussions with organisers from both groups,” Deputy Assistant Commissioner James Harman said in a statement on Wednesday. “We have been clear since the outset that we would not accept march routes or rally locations that would increase the risk of intimidation to any particular community or that would risk the two protests coming together.”
“This has been achieved on paper but it now falls to us to deploy very significant resources onto the streets of London to put the policing plan into effect and to keep those groups with opposing views apart,” he added.
About 80,000 people in total were present across both protests. Each group’s organizers boasted that more people attended their respective marches than the other.
Once the Unite the Kingdom rally ended, Robinson thanked the Metropolitan Police for maintaining a safe environment. He also told the large crowd to show “respect” to officers on their way home.
Robinson’s event was meant to protest mass immigration to the U.K. and advocate for free speech, a key issue that conservatives have accused the British government of violating.
On Friday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that 11 “foreign far-right agitators” were banned from entering the country to attend the rally.
“We’re in a fight for the soul of this country, and the Unite the Kingdom march this weekend is a stark reminder of exactly what we are up against,” he said in a press release. “Its organisers are peddling hatred and division, plain and simple.”
Valentina Gomez, a failed Republican candidate known for her provocative anti-Islam views, was one of those banned right-wing figures. Last month, the U.K. revoked her approved visa. At the time, Gomez vowed to enter the U.K. on a boat instead of an airplane. Based on her recent social media activity, it appears she did not follow through on that plan.
VALENTINA GOMEZ HAS UK VISA YANKED AHEAD OF RIGHT-WING RALLY
“We will block those coming into the UK who seek to incite hatred and violence,” the prime minister added. “For anyone who sets out to wreak havoc on our streets, to intimidate or threaten anyone, you can expect to face the full force of the law.”
Starmer is facing intense scrutiny after the Labour Party sustained heavy losses in the local elections last week. His stance on immigration has been a source of contention within the country.
