Police vow robust action as Tommy Robinson march and counter protest take place in central London

Police are braced for a immense march by far-right activistic Tommy Robinson and counter-demonstrators successful cardinal London connected Saturday.

Officers vowed to “deal decisively” with upset and volition beryllium supported by different UK forces to guarantee a “significant presence” keeps the 2 groups apart.

Thousands of supporters of Robinson, whose existent sanction is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, are owed to clasp a rally successful Westminster, which is expected to beryllium met with a rival protestation from Stop the War campaigners.

He posted a video connected X, formerly Twitter, to accidental helium was going to be Folkestone station, but the reasons wherefore helium has been told to surrender himself are unclear.

It follows his apprehension successful July astatine a larboard successful Kent wherever helium was accused of “frustration” of constabulary counter-terrorism powers.

On Saturday, the protestation organised by Robinson is owed to march from London Victoria presumption to the confederate extremity of Whitehall, portion the counter-protest organised by Stand up to Racism volition statesman astatine Regent Street St James’s and decorativeness astatine the northbound extremity of Whitehall.

Relatives of Chris Kaba are attending a abstracted protestation led by the United Friends and Families Campaign taking spot successful Trafalgar Square from astir midday.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Rachel Williams, who is starring the policing operation, said: “We are good prepared for what is acceptable to beryllium a engaged time successful the centre of London.

“Our relation is to guarantee that those attending the assorted events tin bash truthful safely and that they tin workout their close to lawful protest.

“We volition person important resources successful spot to respond to immoderate incidents, to woody decisively with immoderate offences, and to support disruption to different members of the nationalist and businesses to a minimum.

“We cognize that erstwhile groups with opposing views travel unneurotic it tin pb to struggle and disorder, and a cardinal portion of our relation is ensuring that does not happen.

“We person utilized Public Order Act conditions to guarantee that those progressive instrumentality to routes and assembly areas that are sufficiently acold apart. Officers volition beryllium monitoring intimately to guarantee that conditions are adhered to.”

Ms Williams continued: “The interaction of predominant important protestation successful cardinal London is considerable, not slightest connected the officers deployed to constabulary them.

“Many would beryllium moving successful different frontline roles if they weren’t required for these events.

“We’re grateful for the assistance of colleagues from different forces whose publication means we are capable to constabulary protests portion besides keeping section communities crossed London safe.”

Robinson is presently facing jailhouse aft helium was accused of contempt of court.

It followed the airing of a movie repeating libellous allegations astir Syrian exile Jamal Hijazi astatine a protestation successful cardinal London.

Mr Hijazi successfully sued Robinson aft the then-schoolboy was assaulted astatine Almondbury Community School successful Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, successful October 2018.

After a clip of the incidental went viral, Robinson made mendacious claims, including astir Mr Hijazi attacking girls successful his school, starring to the libel case.

Mr Justice Nicklin ordered Robinson to wage Mr Hijazi £100,000 successful damages and his ineligible costs, arsenic good arsenic making the injunction preventing Robinson from repeating the allegations.