General · 16 May 2026
Pro-Palestinian Gathering Draws Thousands in London
Illustration: AI-generated for editorial context. Not photographic evidence.
Londoners faced major road closures and heavy policing as rival demonstrations and the FA Cup final took place on the same day. Metropolitan Police prepared for Tommy Robinson's Unite the Kingdom event and a Nakba Day march on Saturday, using live facial recognition at a protest operation for the first time. Officers expected up to 50,000 people at the nationalist rally and about 30,000 at the pro-Palestinian gathering.
Reported by The Guardian · How we write briefs