London braces for rival protests as far-right and anti-racism rallies

Thousands of people were expected to descend on central London on Saturday as rival demonstrations converged on the capital, with police preparing a large operation to prevent clashes amid a busy day of sporting fixtures and other events. The Unite the Kingdom march organised by far right activist Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, planned to assemble near Waterloo Bridge in the late morning and march toward the southern end of Whitehall. A counterprotest organised by Stand Up To Racism was due to form up at Russell Square around midday before marching to the northern end of Whitehall.

Organisers on both sides and media accounts variously predicted turnout in the thousands, and at least one report suggested significantly larger crowds. The Metropolitan Police said it had deployed more than 1,600 officers across London for the day, including about 500 brought in from other forces, and around 1,000 officers would be responsible for policing the two central London demonstrations. Barriers and a wide sterile area between the rival marches were put in place to minimise the risk of direct confrontation.

Robinson invited supporters to attend what he described as...