More than 100 people were arrested during a far-right rally in London on Saturday, which saw demonstrators attack police and anti-racism protesters.

Scotland Yard say the offences included violent disorder, assaulting police officers,
possession of an offensive weapon, possession of class A drugs, being drunk and
disorderly and breach of the peace.

Football fans, veterans and far-right groups all vowed to ‘defend’ memorials from anti-racism protests this weekend after Winston Churchill’s statue in Parliament Square was defaced and a statue of slave trader Edward Colston was dragged down in Bristol.

A 5pm curfew had been imposed on the capital amid fears of clashes between football hooligans and supporters of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement.

BLM had cancelled a planned protest in London on Saturday amid fears it would be targeted by hate groups, while Sadiq Khan urged people to stay away, warning there was a threat of it becoming hijacked by groups intent on causing violence.

However, some protesters with Black Lives Matter placards gathered peacefully at Trafalgar Square to protest against racism and police brutality.

Later in the day, police struggled to keep anti-racism protesters and far-right groups apart, with reports emerging of violent skirmishes between the two groups in the afternoon.

Several people were left covered in blood and others were knocked to the floor during a fight at Waterloo Station.

Earlier, far-right groups attacked police with smoke bombs and missiles and assaulted officers and journalists. Met Police say six officers suffered ‘minor injuries’ due to the ‘pockets of violence’, which Boris Johnson condemned as ‘racist thuggery’.

The crowd then split into two and circled the station in opposition directions as more police arrived at the scene. Police helicopters were also circling overhead.

The station was temporarily on lockdown but has since reopened, with crowds later seen congregating on Waterloo Bridge.

Meanwhile, other far right groups ‘intent on causing chaos’ were filmed running into Hyde Park after the 5pm curfew kicked in.

Dozens of hooligans ran into the park despite the Metropolitan Police trying to keep them separate from anti-racism protesters by imposing conditions on the areas where the two groups could demonstrate.

Sky News correspondent Noel Phillips said a convoy of police tried to catch up with the counter-protesters – and said it appeared they were ‘intent on causing chaos and havoc’.

‘There have been pockets of violence directed towards our officers. This is completely unacceptable and I condemn those involved.’

Peaceful anti-racism protests also took place in London and across the UK.

Thousands gathered in Brighton, Liverpool, Bristol, Manchester and elsewhere.

However tensions also flared at demonstrations outside of London.

Northumbria Police confirmed that 11 people have been arrested after demonstrations in Newcastle, where glass bottles were launched at Black Lives Matter supporters and officers.

The Prime Minister tweeted: ‘Racist thuggery has no place on our streets. Anyone attacking the police will be met with full force of the law.

‘These marches & protests have been subverted by violence and breach current guidelines. Racism has no part in the UK and we must work together to make that a reality.’

Home Secretary Priti Patel also condemned the shameful scenes today, including the ‘desecration’ of the memorial dedicated to PC Keith Palmer.

Images showed a man urinating next to the plaque of the officer, who was murdered protecting parliament from a terrorist attack in 2017.

She said: ‘We are in an unprecedented public health emergency, and I have said every single day, as have the police around the country and in London, that these protests, these gatherings, are illegal and we have been discouraging them.

‘We have seen some shameful scenes today, including the desecration of PC Keith Palmer’s memorial in parliament, in Westminster square, and quite frankly that is shameful, that is absolutely appalling and shameful.’

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