Overview

• Police reported assaults on officers, projectiles thrown and repeated efforts by some rally participants to break through cordons separating the opposing groups.
• About 1,600 officers were deployed citywide, including roughly 500 drafted from other forces, with around 1,000 assigned to the rival demonstrations.
• The Metropolitan Police estimated around 110,000 at the Whitehall rally and about 5,000 at the Stand Up To Racism event, rejecting supporters’ claims of turnout in the millions.
• Barriers and a large sterile area were enforced under Public Order Act conditions, with set finish times for both protests to limit disorder.
• Organisers billed the rally as a free‑speech event with nationalist themes, featuring speeches by figures including Laurence Fox and Katie Hopkins.