Uniting the Kingdom event 'too big to fit into Whitehall' say police - but 'anacceptable violence' see as punches traded with Stand Up To Racism protesters

THE turnout for the 'Unite the Kingdom' event was too big to fit into Whitehall, police have said.

Tommy Robinson supporters claim upto three million people attended, but lower end estimates are 110,000.

Police said trouble flared with a counter Stand Up To Racism event after protesters left the route onto Victoria Embankment and sought to access Whitehall from multiple directions as shown on the map below.

A Met post on X said: "When officers moved in to stop them they faced unacceptable violence. They were assaulted with kicks and punches. Bottles, flares and other projectiles were thrown.

"Nine arrests have been made so far for various offences, but many more people have been identified as committing offences. We will find them and they will face police action, even if it is not possible to do so today.

"Officers are continuing to face aggression in multiple locations, in particular at the north of Whitehall as they work to create a safe exit route for those who have been taking part in the Stand Up To Racism protest."

Police horses were earlier brought in to try to quell mounting violence from splinter groups at Tommy Robinson's Uniting the Kingdom event in London.

A Met Police post on X said: "We continue to see significant aggression directed at officers by Unite the Kingdom protesters.

"We have deployed additional officers with protective equipment in multiple locations, supported by police horses, to deal with the disorder."

Rival protesters earlier traded blows after cordons were breached at the Tommy Robinson Uniting the Kingdon event in London today.

Video posted on X shows riot police trying to stop fighting between Robinson supporters and those at a smaller Stand Up To Racism counter demo.

Met Police officers have been pelted with objects by a breakaway group of ‘Uniting the Kingdom’ protesters, the Met Police said.

Officers are having to intervene in multiple locations to stop Unite the Kingdom protesters trying to access sterile areas, breach police cordons or get to opposing groups, the force said.

A number of officers have been assaulted.

It began after a group tried to enter a sterile area on Whitehall that is in place to keep the crowd apart from Stand Up To Racism counter protesters, the force said.

A Met Police spokesman said: "Officers were attacked with projectiles and have had to use force to avoid their cordon being breached.

"There was a very large turnout for the ‘Unite the Kingdom’ protest. It is not possible for any more people to get into Bridge Street, Parliament Street or Whitehall.

"We’re working with organisers to provide exit routes for the crowds. We’d ask people to follow the organisers."

Robinson has repeatedly called for there to be no violence at the event as he said it would be what the establishment would want to happen so they could be branded far-right thugs.