A former London Mayoral candidate has slammed the Metropolitan Police’s decision to use Live Facial Recognition (LFR) technology at this weekend’s Unite the Kingdom march. Susan Hall, who stood as the Conservative Party candidate against Sir Sadiq Khan in 2024, posted on X to ask why the technology was being used at the rally when it was not being deployed at a separate pro-Palestinian march marking Nakba Day.
Ms Hall took to X to say that she is a fan of the technology to claim that the decision “doesn’t seem right”. She added: “If you’re going to do that for one march, maybe do it for another, especially when at the other one we have chants ‘from the river to the sea’ calling for a ‘global Infatada’ (sic). I would have thought that was the one to check.”
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, Deputy Assistant Commissioner James Harman said that Saturday could be one of the busiest days for policing in London in recent years.
50,000 people are expected to join Robinson’s Unite the Kingdom march, while 30,000 people are expected to join the pro-Palestinian march commemorating the “Palestinian Catastrophe” of 1948.
The capital will also host the FA Cup Final between Manchester City and Chelsea at Wembley Stadium.
Harman told reporters that the LFR technology will not be used during assembly, at rally points, or along protest routes. He added: “It will be deployed in the London borough of Camden in an area likely to be used by those attending the Unite the Kingdom event.”
He continued: “We have been clear that we would not accept march routes or rally locations that increase the risk of intimidation to any particular community.
“This has been achieved on paper, but it now falls to us to deploy very significant resources … to keep groups with opposing views apart and keep everybody safe.”
A Unite the Kingdom march last year saw outbreaks of violence in which 26 officers were injured and 23 people were arrested.
Harmen added: "At the Unite the Kingdom protest in September last year, there was violence in multiple locations when protesters attacked police officers and tried to reach opposing groups who were part of a counter protest. There were arrests for violence both during and after the event and we continue to have more than 50 outstanding and unidentified suspects for offences on that day.”
The Met has placed tight restrictions on the march and on speakers at both rallies. Pro-Palestinian activists will be kept apart from the protest organised by Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, with the demonstrations due to finish in Piccadilly and Parliament Square respectively.
The policing operation is expected to cost £4.5million, including £1.7million to bring in 660 officers from forces across England and Wales.
Riot police will be backed by helicopter support, traffic officers, mounted police, dog units and teams of detectives. Armoured SandCat vehicles are also being deployed for the first time and will be held in reserve.
It comes as Sir Keir Starmer confirmed that “far-right agitators” will be blocked from entering the UK for Robinson’s rally.
The Home Secretary has the power to cancel a person’s permission to enter or stay in the UK, and has already blocked seven people from entering for the march, it is understood.
In a speech on Monday, Sir Keir said the event was “designed to confront and intimidate this diverse country”.
Suggesting more visiting speakers could be barred, he added: “That is why this Labour Government will block far-right agitators from travelling to Britain.
“We will not allow people to come to the UK, threaten our communities and spread hate on our streets.”
Last month, anti-Islam influencer Valentina Gomez was excluded by Shabana Mahmood after a backlash from MPs and campaign groups.
