Dozens arrested as tens of thousands join rival London protests
Tens of thousands of people attended rival protests in London, one led by Tommy Robinson under the 'Unite the Kingdom' banner and another marking Nakba Day in support of Palestine. The Metropolitan Police arrested 43 individuals across both demonstrations for various offences, while deploying over 4,000 officers to maintain order. Despite the large crowds and heightened security, authorities stated the protests proceeded largely without major incidents.
- ▪The Metropolitan Police made 43 arrests for a variety of offences during the rival London protests.
- ▪Over 4,000 police officers, including 660 from outside the Met, were deployed as part of a £4.5 million security operation.
- ▪Protesters at the 'Unite the Kingdom' march chanted anti-government slogans and carried Union flags, while the Nakba Day rally drew significant counter-protest attention.
- ▪Tommy Robinson urged supporters to engage in local politics ahead of the 2029 UK general election.
- ▪The protests coincided with the FA Cup final at Wembley, contributing to one of the busiest policing days in recent years.
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NewsUKHome NewsDozens arrested as tens of thousands join rival London protestsThe Metropolitan Police said 43 people were arrested for a ‘variety of offences’ during the protests Rebecca Whittaker Saturday 16 May 2026 19:47 BSTBookmarkCommentsGo to commentsBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popover{"translations":{"comments":"Go to comments","share":"Share","copyLink":"Copy link","bookmark":"Bookmark","removeBookmark":"Remove bookmark"},"showComments":true,"showBookmark":true,"articleId":"b2977948","articleMeta":{"url":"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/tommy-robinson-march-unite-the-kingdom-london-protest-arrests-b2977948.html","title":"Dozens arrested as tens of thousands join rival London protests"}}First arrests made at Nakba Day protestYour support helps us to…
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