Further conditions imposed ahead of weekend protests

There will be an increased visible police presence in a number of areas across London tomorrow (Saturday, 25 October) when protests planned by the UK Independence Party (UKIP) and Stand Up To Racism (SUTR) are due to take place.

Commander Nick John, who is in charge of public order policing in London this weekend, said: “Our role in relation to the policing of protest is to ensure that they take place peacefully, that offences are dealt with, that they do not cause excessive disruption to the ordinary lives of local residents, visitors and businesses and to ensure that where there is a prospect of disorder we take action to prevent it.

“The risk of such disorder can be elevated if groups with clearly opposing views are allowed to gather in close proximity to each other, particularly if they do so in the heart of a residential area at a time when tensions and fears in relation to hate crime and similar offences are heightened.

“We intervened earlier this week to use our powers under the Public Order Act to prevent a protest taking place in Whitechapel due to the prospect of serious disorder. This was not a 'ban' as it has been described in some coverage and commentary, but a requirement for the protest to move if it was to go ahead. We have used the same power on many occasions over the past two years when policing demonstrations by various groups.

“We have imposed a number of further conditions now as we head into this busy weekend. We have done so to continue to prevent serious disorder but also to prevent serious disruption.

“Officers have been in ongoing contact with protest organisers but I would urge anyone else intending to take part in any protests this weekend to familiarise themselves with the conditions. Breaching them, or encouraging others to do so, can be grounds for arrest.”

Details of Public Order Act conditions in place

The condition imposed earlier this week remains in place and means those taking part in the UKIP protest must not assemble anywhere in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets as shown below.

As a result of that condition being imposed, UKIP have announced an intention to protest in central London instead. They will march from outside the London Oratory in Kensington and Chelsea to Marble Arch, with an assembly due to take place at the conclusion of the march.

We have imposed conditions requiring them to stick to those plans.

Anyone taking part in the UKIP protest must assemble in the shaded area on the map below. The form up must not start until 13:00hrs.

Anyone taking part in the UKIP protest must follow the agreed route shown on the map below.

Anyone taking part in the assembly following the UKIP march must remain in the shaded area shown on the map below. The assembly must conclude by 16:30hrs.

The protest organised by SUTR and local groups that was due to take place in Whitechapel, originally as a counter protest, is still due to go ahead.

Anyone taking part in that protest must only assemble within the shaded area on the map below. The protest must not start before 10.30hrs and must conclude by 17:00hrs.

We are also aware of plans by some SUTR protesters to stage a counter protest against the revised UKIP march. It is our continued belief that if these two groups were to come together there would be a risk of serious disorder.

Accordingly we have imposed a condition under the Public Order Act meaning anyone taking part in the protest organised by SUTR and affiliated groups, cannot assemble in the area shown on the map below which includes the wards of Brompton & Hans Town, Knightsbridge & Belgravia, Hyde Park, St James’s, West End and Marylebone.