How rival protesters were kept apart by £4.5m police operation
A £4.5 million police operation deployed over 4,000 officers to maintain a sterile zone between rival protests in central London, one led by far-right figure Tommy Robinson and the other by pro-Palestinian demonstrators. The operation successfully prevented serious clashes between the groups, despite high tensions and the added challenge of the FA Cup Final occurring on the same day. Live facial recognition was used for the first time during a protest, and 43 arrests were made across both demonstrations.
- ▪More than 4,000 police officers, including 660 from other forces, were deployed to manage the protest zones in London.
- ▪Two rival marches—one by Tommy Robinson’s Unite the Kingdom group and one marking Nakba Day—were kept apart by a sterile buffer zone spanning key central London sites.
- ▪There were 43 arrests at the protests, with 11 linked to alleged hate crimes, and live facial recognition was used at railway stations for the first time in a UK protest operation.
- ▪The Metropolitan Police operation was one of the largest since the May Day riots in the early 2000s, coinciding with the FA Cup Final at Wembley.
- ▪Nelson's Column and surrounding areas were blocked with metal barriers, and police used helicopters, dogs, and SandCat armoured vehicles to secure the area.
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| Publication time | Sun, 17 May 2026 09:12:37 GMT |
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How rival protesters were kept apart by £4.5m police operationJust nowShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleDaniel SandfordUK correspondentGetty ImagesTourists trying to navigate major central London landmarks on Saturday were left bemused by an enormous £4.5m police operation to keep rival protestors apart.More than 4,000 police officers were deployed to the capital to manage a so-called "sterile zone" between a rally organised by far-right figure Tommy Robinson, and a pro-Palestinian demonstration.Nelson's Column was surrounded by metal barriers. Police officers from Wales in riot uniforms prevented anyone getting from the National Gallery to Pall Mall and Regent Street.
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