Met Police to Deploy 4,000 Officers for Rival Protests

London's Metropolitan Police announced plans Wednesday for one of its largest operations in recent years, deploying 4,000 officers across the capital on Saturday to police rival protests by anti-immigration activist Tommy Robinson and pro-Palestinian groups, coinciding with the FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium.

The "Unite the Kingdom" rally, organized by Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, known as Tommy Robinson, is expected to draw around 50,000 participants starting at 1 p.m. in Kingsway and proceeding to Whitehall and Parliament Square. The pro-Palestinian march, marking Nakba Day to commemorate the 1948 displacement of Palestinians during Israel's creation, anticipates 30,000 attendees and will begin around the same time from areas including Green Park or Exhibition Road, ending in Pall Mall or nearby locations such as Waterloo Place. Police have imposed strict conditions on routes, timings, and speakers for both events, holding organizers responsible for preventing hate speech or extremism. Violations could lead to prosecutions of both speakers and organizers, a measure used for the first time.

The operation, costing 4.5 million pounds including 1.7 million to draft in 660 officers from...