Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, said the pockets of violence at the protest yesterday were completely unacceptable. In a post on X thanking the Metropolitan police for its work, he wrote: My thanks go to all the officers policing protests today. Most protestors were peaceful, but a number of officers were assaulted and arrests have been made. Violence and attacking police officers is completely unacceptable.
Thousands have gathered in central London for a march organised by far-right activist Tommy Robinson, with a counter protest by anti-racism campaigners also taking place. Some 1,000 officers have been assigned to the demonstrations, the Metropolitan Police said, with barriers in place to create a "sterile area" between the two groups. "Today London stands tall in defence of one of our most vital rights free speech," Robinson wrote on X.