Police share breakdown of 43 arrests made during two rival London protests

Police have released a detailed breakdown of the 43 arrests made during two rival London protests on Saturday, including 11 hate crime-related offences.

The Metropolitan Police said 20 people arrested were linked with the Unite the Kingdom protest, backed by Tommy Robinson, while 12 were associated with a pro-Palestine Nakba Day march.

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A further 11 arrests were not linked to either group.

The force added that there were nine hate crime-related arrests at Unite the Kingdom and two at the Nakba march. They relate to offences allegedly motivated by race, religion, sexuality and disability.

A further seven alleged hate crime offences at the pro-Palestine event remain under investigation.

Saturday saw demonstrators mark the 78th anniversary of Nakba - when around 750,000 Palestinians were forcibly displaced from their homes - in one part of London. Nearby, the Unite the Kingdom rally called for a clampdown on migration.

Between 15,000 and 20,000 people attended the pro-Palestine event, while some 60,000 people are estimated to have joined Tommy Robinson's march, the Met said.

The policing operation, which cost £4.5m, saw 4,000 officers on duty, with 660 drafted in from elsewhere in the country.

The Met said three arrests were a result of its live facial recognition technology for people wanted for failing to appear in court. They were not linked to either protest.

The force provided a detailed breakdown:

Unite the Kingdom - 20 arrests

• 10 x public order offences
• 3 x drunk and disorderly
• 2 x assault on an emergency worker
• ABH
• Criminal damage
• Possession of an offensive weapon
• 2 x wanted for previous offence (GBH + telecommunications offence)

Pro-Palestine Nakba march - 11 arrests

• 3 x breach of Section 14 Public Order Act conditions
• 3 x public order offences
• 3 x failing to remove a face covering
• Assault on an emergency worker
• Support for a proscribed organisation
• Wanted for previous offence (common assault)

A further 11 arrests, not linked to either group, were for a range of offences, including theft, drunk and disorderly, and possession of drugs.

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On Saturday, the Met said the number of arrests "may seem high" but argued that both protests "proceeded largely without significant incident".

Heavy restrictions were in place to keep the rallies separate.

The UK government blocked 11 foreign nationals described by Sir Keir as "far-right agitators" from entering the UK ahead of the Unite the Kingdom rally.

(c) Sky News 2026: Police share breakdown of 43 arrests made during two rival London protests