Concerns of ‘serious disorder’ have prompted the UK’s Metropolitan Police to intervene and prevent a demonstration from taking place in Tower Hamlets this weekend.
The event, initially advertised as a march from Whitechapel Station and latterly revised to be an assembly in the same area, was organised by the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP). It was due to take place on the afternoon of Saturday, 25 October.
It is part of a series of events in locations around the UK promoted as a ‘mass deportations tour’. Organisers have described it as a “crusade”, calling on attendees to “reclaim Whitechapel from the Islamists”.
A significant counter protest was also expected, organised by Stand Up To Racism and a number of local groups.
Public Order Act conditions have now been imposed meaning UKIP cannot hold their protest in Whitechapel or anywhere else in the borough of Tower Hamlets.
Officers from the Met’s Protest Liaison Team remain willing to engage with the organisers if they bring forward a proposal for an event in an alternative location.
Commander Nick John, who is in charge of the public order policing operation in London this weekend, said: “Tower Hamlets has the largest percentage of Muslim residents anywhere in the UK and the prospect of this protest taking place in the heart of the borough has been the cause of significant concern locally.
“It is our assessment that there is a realistic prospect of serious disorder if it was to go ahead in the proposed location. This is in addition to the disruption that two large protests taking place on a key arterial route through east London would cause.
“We have a responsibility to use the powers available to us to take steps to avoid both those outcomes.
“UKIP are free to organise their protest in an alternative location but they will not be holding it in Tower Hamlets.
“Anyone who tries to assemble, in breach of the conditions, or who encourages others to do so, will face arrest. We will still have a sizeable police presence in the area on Saturday to keep the public safe and to intervene to enforce the conditions and deal with any other incidents.”
The original announcement can be found here.