London braces for chaos as hooligans and far-right thugs threaten clashes with BLM…

A man was beaten to a bloody pulp in Trafalgar Square tonight as the Black Lives Matter protests turned violent shortly before the 5pm curfew kicked in.

Police chiefs imposed a 5pm curfew on all demonstrations in a bid to quell the unrest seen throughout the day as a Black Lives Matter rally and a pro-statue counter-protest descended into hooliganism after far-right thugs flooded into Westminster.

But around 1,000 protesters ignored requests to go home, instead staying in Trafalgar square after police as officers with riot helmets watched on. They have not yet forcibly removed anyone from the square 

The man who was attacked was one of two men who had been chased by angry crowds today.

The injured man – believed to be a Tommy Robinson supporter – was swarmed before being punched and kicked to the floor leaving blood streaming from his nose. 

Other protesters managed to drive a wedge in between the man and his attackers and stop the violence before police moved in.

He was later taken out of the square by officers, staggering unsteadily on his feet.

Tommy Robinson vowed in a video posted on social media last weekend that he would be visiting the capital on Saturday to ensure the city’s historical monuments were protected. 

He later backtracked and said he would not be attending but protests went ahead without him today.

Demonstrators on all sides flocked to central London despite desperate pleas from the Home Secretary to ‘go home to stop the spread of this virus.’

Throughout the day, mounted officers and riot squads desperately battled to keep the two demonstrations separate, while coming under fire from both sides.

Smoke bombs exploded in Trafalgar Square, which first swelled with flag-waving far-right yobs before they were driven out by police and the world-famous square was occupied by anti-racist and BLM activists, who marched from Hyde Park. 

The pro-statue rally included veterans dressed in military uniform as well as far-right thugs such as Britain First leader Paul Golding.   

Most statues, including that of Sir Winston Churchill, have been boarded up by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan to prevent them becoming ‘flash points’ for far-right violence. 

But carnage still erupted in the heart of London as far right thugs peeled off from their rally in Parliament Square and began pelting cans and bottles at the police blockading the Cenotaph. The Metropolitan police are yet to announce any arrests.

It sparked a wave of frenzied violence which saw both Black Lives Matter and hooligans caught on camera deliberately targeting constables.

Skirmishes were seen breaking out between the two groups and both sides have been prowling through central London looking for violence. 

By 4pm, BLM protesters had broken out of the police ring around Trafalgar Square and were roaming the West End chanting f*** the EDL. 

Timeline of today’s clashes

11:30 am: Several hundred people gather in central London, with the Cenotaph a focal point for demonstrators singing the national anthem. Britain First leader Paul Golding arrives.

Approx 11:30 am: Black Lives Matter (BLM) demonstrators gather in Hyde Park.

12:30 pm: Far-right activists block roads around Parliament Square.   

12:45 pm: Whitehall becomes blocked off by the Met police who’ve imposed a Section 60 power.

12:45-2:40 pm: Far-right activists clash with and throw objects, including barriers, at police guarding Parliament Square including cans. 

2:55 pm: Large numbers of far-right protesters move to Trafalgar Square and are separated by police lines from BLM demonstrators who are starting to gather.

3:15 pm: Police face far-right activists who’ve moved back to Parliament Square where some try to push through the barriers. Riot police and horses make their way back to the square.

3:20 pm: More violence against police on Bridge Street from far-right activists next to Big Ben. 

3:30 pm: More BLM demonstrators make their way to Trafalgar Square.

4:00 pm: Police in full riot gear with shields clash with protesters in Whitehall.

4:10 pm: Crowd at Parliament Square start to disperse after an exit to Parliament Square opens.

4:10 pm: Police appear to stop more BLM demonstrators from entering Trafalgar Square and the demonstrators start to move towards Leicester Square shouting.

4:40 pm: BLM protestors move back to Trafalgar Square. Counter-demonstrators stand at the bottom of Nelson’s Column. 

4:50 pm Police push far-right protesters back from BLM demonstrators

5:00 pm: Curfew kicks in. 

Priti Patel has condemned the ‘unacceptable thuggery’ and said the perpetrators would face the ‘full force of the law’. 

The Home Secretary tweeted a video of the affray and wrote: ‘Throughly (sic) unacceptable thuggery. Any perpetrators of violence or vandalism should expect to face the full force of the law. 

‘Violence towards our police officers will not be tolerated. Coronavirus remains a threat to us all. Go home to stop the spread of this virus & save lives.’ 

BLM coordinators have formally scrapped today’s demonstration for fear of clashes, but many have still taken to the streets. 

Hundreds of BLM and pro-statue protesters are also rallying in cities across the country such as Liverpool, Newcastle, Brighton and Glasgow. 

This morning, a senior BLM organsier said Churchill’s statue should be removed from Parliament Square.  

Imarn Ayton, 29, a figurehead of the movement who has given speeches alongside Star Wars actor John Boyega, said a monument to anyone who has made racist comments  – including the wartime PM – is offensive and belongs in a museum.

But she urged campaigners to stay off the streets of London to prevent rallies exploding into a ‘race war’ against the far-right, who are among those trooping to the capital and other cities across the UK to defend targeted sculptures.   

Protesters in Bristol gathered at the Cenotaph and held up ‘All Lives Matter’ banners, but denied they were far-right supporters.  

One read: ‘Not far right just ordinary people of all races from Bristol, Bath, Cardiff, Newport etc. United to defend the Cenotaph to defend the memory of people who died so that we are able to have the freedom to protest.’

Among those gathered was a large contingent of bikers who parked their motorbikes next to the war memorial.

Many of those present were drinking and there were a number of clashes with police in riot gear as crowds chanting ‘England’ and raising their arms surged towards lines of officers.

As several hundred demonstrators blocked roads around Parliament Square, police tried to corral them onto the pavements.

Other officers, some holding shields, remained in a line blocking access to the Cenotaph in Whitehall, while some in the crowd screamed abuse at them   

Hundreds also flocked to George Square in Glasgow to ‘protect’ a war memorial.

In an event organised by a group called the Loyalist Defence League (LDL), people congregated to stop vandalism to the Glasgow Cenotaph, erected to commemorate the lives of those who died in the First World War.

More than 1,000 protesters also gathered in Brighton to stand in solidarity with BLM demonstrations worldwide.

Forming a mile-long line along the seafront, activists wearing black clothes and masks and holding signs held a silent protest on Saturday afternoon.

The Mayor of London today defended his decision to board up monuments in Westminster by pointing to possible violence from far-right groups.

He told Radio 4’s Today programme this morning: ‘We have intelligence that extreme far-right groups are coming to London, they say to protect the statues but we think these statues could become a flash point for violence. 

‘And we are worried in far-right groups getting involved in violence, vandalism and disorder with those protesting as part of the BLM movement. 

‘And that’s one of the reasons why I’m asking people to stay away from central London.’  

Scotland Yard is desperate to keep control of London after last weekend’s largely peaceful protest was hijacked by pockets of violence, which targeted constables.

Police chiefs have imposed a 5pm curfew on the demonstration and warned that officers are ready to make arrests. 

Rallies are also planned in other cities across the UK, including Newcastle, Liverpool, Southport, Tamworth, Shrewsbury, Barry, Reading, Slough, Croydon, Chelmsford, Kings Lynn and Hemel Hempstead.  

Asked if she believes Winston Churchill statue should be removed, Ms Ayton told BBC Radio 4: ‘Yes I do. I believe these statues should be moved to a museum I think it’s a win win for everyone. It no longer offends the black nation, but we get to keep our history and keep those that would like to see that. 

Asked why Churchill’s statue was offensive, she said: ‘Any statue of people who has spoken negatively towards black people is going to be offensive. Any man.’  

Yesterday, the Prime Minister waded into the debate on statues to slam the boarding up of his political hero, Churchill’s sculpture.

He said it was ‘absurd and shameful’ that a statue of Sir Winston Churchill was ‘at risk of attack’ by protesters and ‘the only responsible course of action is to stay away from these protests’.  

Home Secretary Priti Patel weighed in behind her boss and demanded Churchill be ‘set free’.

She told the Daily Mail: ‘We should free Churchill, a hero of our nation, who fought against fascism and racism in this country and Europe.’ 

Churchill’s grandson Nicholas Soames, the former Tory MP, said that covering the wartime PM’s statue was a national humiliation. 

This morning, Mr Khan responded to criticism with a dig at Boris Johnson and said: ‘I’d remind Londoners and all those around the country this isn’t the first statues in Parliament Square and London have been boarded up. 

‘Indeed Parliament Square was fenced off for a number of weeks when Boris Johnson was Mayor.’

The Mayor also accused Ms Patel of seeking to score ‘political points’.

He said: ‘She needs to see the intelligence that we have seen that the far right are intending to come to central London.  

‘One of their justifications for doing so is to protect these statues but also they are intending to remove statues of people like Nelson Mandela, so I think we have done the wise, precautionary thing.

‘Rather than seeking to make political points out of this, what I hope is that central government would work with regional government and the police to make sure there isn’t violence, vandalism or disorder or inadvertently the spreading of the virus.’ 

Hooligan groups raised a call to arms this morning for supporters to head to Whitehall at the same time George Floyd demonstrators are marching from Hyde Park.

The Democratic Football Lads Alliance, which is rallying ‘football lads, patriots, veterans and people who just love their country’, insists it is not rousing a counter-protest but is instead on a ‘protection mission’. 

Paul Golding, the leader of far-right group Britain First, was pictured at the Cenotaph this morning wearing a top emblazoned with the words ‘white lives matter’.  

Daisy, a 26-year-old from Pimlico, passed demonstrators in Parliament Square as she went for a run at around 10.30 on Saturday morning and claimed many were already drinking alcohol.

‘They were all drinking beers and there was already loads of cans lying round on the floor treating it like it was some sort of football away-day,’ she said.

‘It was a really tense and hostile atmosphere. I didn’t stay too long… it was really uncomfortable.’

Swathes of the public have expressed outrage at the recent removal of statues and have peacefully encircled some of the ones at risk of vandalism over recent days.

Ms Ayton joined the Mayor in urging people not to protest today for fear of violence from the far-right.

She added: ‘I think everyone is very worried about any type of race war that could occur because that takes away from what we’re trying to achieve, which is abolishing institutional racism and a massive war on a Saturday because of far-right takes away everything we’re trying to achieve over the last week.’ 

Other anti-racism figures also expressed nervousness about clashes in the capital today. 

Nick Knowles, from Hope Not Hate, this morning told BBC Today : ‘If you look whose planning to come into London today, you have seasoned football hooligans… BNP protesters. 

‘You have some who are concerned about statues, but others who are looking for a fight and have openly said this on their social media channels.’

Denise Richards, one of the organisers of the recent wave of BLM protests, said many activists would avoid London today for fear of violent clashes. 

She said: ‘No I won’t be coming to London, initially that was the plan but hearing what the far right were planning to do, for our chapter it was a non-starter.

Asked why she was backing off, she added: ‘If we don’t give into threats, people will lose their lives… I just don’t think it’s worth us losing our lives.’   

The BLM route mandated by police starts at Hyde Park and goes to Park Lane, Hyde Park Corner, Piccadilly, Piccadilly Circus, Haymarket, Cockspur Street, Trafalgar Square before finishing in Whitehall, north of the police barrier. 

Conditions imposed by Met Police, mean that a number of the statues in Parliament Square -including Winston Churchill’s – will only be accessible to pro-statue protesters. 

The conditions were set under section 12 of the Public Order Act. 

Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Mr Khan said: ‘The police can arrest, detain and charge, ultimately if you breach the conditions,’ he said, adding that this included people who were protesting peacefully. 

Right-wing groups will have to assemble in Parliament Square and Whitehall, and must remain south of the police barrier. 

Met Police commander Bas Javid has warned that ‘violence’ and ‘criminal behaviour against our officers’ will ‘not be tolerated.’

Scotland Yard also warned protesters to reconsider attending today due to the coronavirus pandemic, with concerns mass gatherings could help contribute to a second wave of the disease.  

Met Police commander Bas Javid said: ‘I absolutely understand why people want to make their voices heard – there is a really strong depth of feeling out in the communities, but the Government direction is that we remain in a health pandemic and people are asked not to gather in large groups. 

‘By doing so, you are putting your own safety, and that of your family or friends at risk. We are asking you not to come to London, and let your voices be heard in other ways.

‘We all saw the crowds that came together last weekend, and the demonstration on the whole was peaceful and reinforced the legitimacy of feelings within our communities.

‘However on both days, there was a minority intent on disorder, which resulted in incidents of violence and criminal behaviour, and assaults against our officers. This cannot be tolerated.’ 

Meanwhile, police officers were booed and had obscenities shouted at them as they moved in to detain two of the protesters in Hyde Park yesterday afternoon.

Around 20 officers moved through peaceful protesters sitting on the grass to seize suspected activists thought to be behind disorder at previous protests, including an anti Capitalist demo in London’s stock exchange in February.

A man in a black top and baseball cap was among those led away as members of the crowd started to gather around the officers but who were then warned to be peaceful by one of the protest organisers on loudspeaker. 

A spokesman for City of London Police said: ‘The individuals arrested by the Metropolitan Police today are wanted by the City of London Police for matters unrelated to their activity at any of the Black Lives Matter protests.

‘As it is an ongoing police investigation we can’t provide any more details.’