Description
Nobody should have to put up with abuse at work and that includes police officers.
Arrests were made in all these incidents and we'll be pushing for charges in every case.
With tens of thousands of people taking to the streets, London's Metropolitan Police officers were tasked with managing two simultaneous demonstrations linked to Nakba Day and Unite The Kingdom on Saturday 16th May 2026, groups representing different perspectives across the political spectrum.
As a leading global city, London hosts thousands of major cultural, sporting and entertainment events every year, from football matches and international conferences, to music festivals and celebrations. In addition, we police around 3,000 protests, marches and demonstrations each year across the capital.
The Met has a unique wealth of experience in policing public events and ensuring large crowds remain safe while ensuring Londoners and visitors can still enjoy the city without serious disruption.
This is a behind-the-scenes look of how we prepared and delivered a successful policing operation involving over 4,000 officers across central London. See how officers balance the right to lawful protest while ensuring those who commit crime - including unacceptable racist abuse - are arrested.