Scotland Yard is set to use armoured vehicles for the first time in 15 years in a £4.5million operation to police protests this weekend.
In a package of measures billed as the toughest ever, 4,000 officers will be deployed to deal with the Tommy Robinson-led Unite the Kingdom rally and a pro-Palestine gathering to mark Nakba Day.
A total of more than 80,000 people are expected to attend the two demonstrations on Saturday when London will also host the FA Cup Final.
Yesterday, the Metropolitan Police announced it was gearing up for an operation on an ‘unprecedented scale’, which will cost taxpayers £4.5million, including 660 officers from other forces.
Armoured 4x4s, used for riots, are being placed on standby, along with drones, helicopters, dogs and mounted police as the Met tries to prevent clashes between supporters of the two rallies.
The 9,000kg, 7ft 7in vehicles, which cost about £180,000 each, replaced ones not seen on London’s streets since the riots in 2011.
In a controversial move, the Met will use live facial recognition cameras to search for Unite the Kingdom supporters who are wanted over violence.
The police are not planning to have a similar watchlist for those at the annual Nakba Day rally – which marks the displacement of Palestinians during the creation of the state of Israel.
Scotland Yard is set to use armoured vehicles for the first time in 15 years in a £4.5million operation to police protests this weekend
Activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, known as Tommy Robinson at a protest in support of the Iranian people outside Downing Street, in London, Britain, on January 11
Police say there are more than 50 outstanding suspects who took part in a Unite the Kingdom rally in September.
Heavy restrictions have been put in place amid police concerns about ‘the history of football hooligan groups supporting causes fronted by Stephen Yaxley-Lennon [aka Tommy Robinson]’.
For the first time under official protest restrictions, speakers at both rallies will face prosecution if they use the events as a platform for extremism or hate speech.
James Harman, the Met’s Assistant Commissioner, said protesters using language which is now considered a criminal offence could also be arrested.
Recent cases have been brought over chants including ‘Death to the IDF’ and ‘Globalise the intifada’.
Regarding the operation, he added: ‘We’re doing this at a time of continued global instability and tension, which we know has the potential to fuel tension and play out on the streets of London, the terrorism threat level has been raised to severe and, in recent weeks and months, we have seen a terrorist attack.
‘We’ve seen a sustained campaign of arson targeting Jewish Londoners, against the backdrop of increasing hate crime, in particular antisemitism. Taken together, these factors give us significant cause for concern as we head into the weekend.’
