Two individuals have been charged after a weekend of rival protests in central London saw 43 arrests and tens of thousands of demonstrators taking to the streets. Stuart Adams, 49, from Merton, faces a racially aggravated public order offence for allegedly shouting racial abuse at a police officer during Tommy Robinson's Unite the Kingdom demonstration on Saturday. He is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Monday.
Second Charged Person
The second person charged is Dara Harbison, 26, from Brighton, who was arrested at the pro-Palestine Nakba Day protest. Harbison is accused of assaulting an emergency worker, criminal damage, and possession of cannabis. He will appear in court on 6 July.
Arrests and Penalties
Among the 43 arrests, one person was recalled to prison, 25 were released on bail, three faced no further action, three were released under investigation, and two were charged with failing to appear at court for unrelated previous offences. Four penalty notices for disorder were issued: three for urination and one for calling police officers abusive names while drunk.
On Monday, Metropolitan Police officers travelled to Plymouth to arrest a 28-year-old man on suspicion of stirring up racial hatred. He is believed to have been photographed at the Nakba Day rally holding a sign calling for hangings.
Protest Turnout and Policing
Estimates indicate that around 80,000 people participated in Saturday's protests: approximately 60,000 at Tommy Robinson's Unite the Kingdom march and up to 20,000 at the Nakba Day rally. Thousands more were in London for the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium. This was one of the busiest policing days in recent years, with around 4,000 officers on duty, supported by armoured vehicles, police horses, dogs, and drones.
At the Unite the Kingdom protest, demonstrators gathered on Kingsway, many waving Union flags and flags opposing the Iranian regime. Chants included 'we want Starmer out' and 'Tommy, Tommy, Tommy Robinson'. Some wore 'Make England Great Again' hats and carried wooden crosses, chanting 'Christ is king'.
Arrest Breakdown
Of the 43 arrests, 20 were linked to the Unite the Kingdom protest, 12 to the Nakba protest, and 11 remain unassigned. Live facial recognition cameras were deployed in Camden, an area expected to be used by many Unite the Kingdom attendees. More than 50 unidentified suspects from a previous Unite the Kingdom demonstration in September, which involved clashes with police, are still being sought.
