LONDON (AP) — Law enforcement officials in London are mobilizing for an intense Saturday as massive crowds converge on the British capital for competing political demonstrations while thousands more gather for England’s premier domestic soccer championship at Wembley Stadium.
The Metropolitan Police will deploy armored vehicles, mounted officers, canine units, aerial drones and helicopters alongside a minimum of 4,000 personnel in an effort to prevent confrontations.
Authorities have established separate pathways to maintain distance between participants in a demonstration led by far-right activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, who goes by the alias Tommy Robinson, and the yearly march recognizing Nakba, the Arabic word meaning “catastrophe” that refers to the displacement of approximately 700,000 Palestinians from present-day Israel in 1948.
Nevertheless, law enforcement remains concerned about potential contact between breakaway factions from the primary demonstrations.
Legal officials have been instructed to evaluate whether signs, displays and verbal expressions documented on social platforms could constitute crimes of inciting hatred during the gatherings.
“This is not about restricting free speech,” said the Crown Prosecution Service’s director, Stephen Parkinson. “It is about preventing hate crime and protecting the public, particularly at a time of heightened tensions.”
British officials have also prevented 11 international individuals from entering the nation for the “Unite the Kingdom” demonstration.
Conservative political figures reportedly denied entry include Polish politician Dominik Tarczynski, Belgian politician Filip Dewinter, anti-Islam commentator Valentina Gomez and Dutch activist Eva Vlaardingerbroek.
“We will block those coming into the UK who seek to incite hatred and violence,” said Prime Minister Keir Starmer. “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.”
On Friday, Starmer toured the Met’s operations center to review security preparations for the demonstrations with Met Commissioner Mark Rowley and London Mayor Sadiq Khan.
Live facial recognition technology will be implemented for the first time during protest security operations, with surveillance equipment positioned in the north London area of Camden, which lies outside the “Unite the Kingdom” march path but is anticipated to be used by many event participants.
At Wembley in the northern part of the city, authorities hope the FA Cup Final between Chelsea and Manchester City, scheduled to begin at 3 p.m., will proceed without problems.
