Overview
- Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley told the London Policing Board that Live Facial Recognition is only deployed when there is an intelligence basis and said the Met has not used it at any protest to date.
- Police did use the system on the approaches to Notting Hill Carnival in August, crediting it with identifying about 100 people of interest and contributing to 61 arrests.
- The Met says LFR has supported more than 1,000 arrests since early 2024, while insisting decisions weigh proportionality and the distinct risks posed by protests.
- Board members and rights groups questioned the differing approach, with the EHRC saying the Met’s policy falls short of necessity and proportionality and a board member warning of a perception of reverse two-tier policing.
- The Unite the Kingdom/Tommy Robinson rally drew an estimated 110,000–150,000 people, led to injuries to 26 officers and more than two dozen arrests, and police expect about 50 further arrests after reviewing footage.