UKIP has been banned from holding a march in east London by the Metropolitan Police amid fears of “serious disorder”. A senior Met officer said it was likely there could be “clashes” if UKIP’s ‘Walk with Jesus’ went ahead in Whitechapel, Tower Hamlets, on January 31.

The Met called the event a “protest” and has imposed Public Order Act conditions preventing it from taking place. Deputy Assistant Commissioner James Harman said it was likely UKIP’s demonstration could anger locals and confrontations with "opposing groups” could lead to violence.

He said: “We are not saying that the UKIP protest, in isolation, will be disorderly. But we do know that many will find it provocative and that provocation is likely to lead to an adverse local reaction.

“We reasonably believe, based on the information available and on previous similar incidents, that the coming together of the UKIP protest with opposing groups who are hostile to its presence would be highly likely to lead to violence and serious disorder.”

He added: “As the police, we can’t just allow that to happen – so we have a choice.

“We can deploy significant numbers of officers to physically stand between the groups – a situation that will likely result in clashes between protesters and police and also between opposing groups. This risks injury to officers, protesters and members of the public – which we see as preventable.

“Alternatively, we can use our powers under the Public Order Act to proactively impose conditions on the protest, preventing UKIP gathering in Tower Hamlets and avoiding an inevitable clash.”

On UKIP’s official X account, a pinned post encourages people to “join our parade in Whitechapel worshipping Jesus Christ, on the 31st of January the month dedicated to the holy name of Jesus”.

Reacting to an article reporting the march had been stopped, the right-wing party said on social media: “The Met Police have once again showed they are controlled by the Islamists.

“Tower Hamlets is a No Go Zone.”

Tower Hamlets is one of London’s most diverse boroughs.

In the 2021 Census, more than 50% of its residents identified as Asian or Black, with almost 40% of people in the area describing themselves as Muslim. 

The Met said the UKIP rally can still be held elsewhere but that it was “reckless” to allow it to happen in Whitechapel.

Dep Asst Commissioner Harman said the force was “avoiding an inevitable clash”.

It is the second time in three months that a UKIP march has been stopped.

In October, supporters were due to gather in Tower Hamlets but were banned from doing so because of what Scotland Yard called a “realistic prospect of serious disorder” due to the area’s large Muslim population.

Around 75 UKIP demonstrators instead gathered in front of the London Oratory, a Catholic church in Kensington, west London.

The demonstration was part of a series of events taking place across the UK promoted as a “mass deportations tour”, with organisers calling on attendees to “reclaim Whitechapel from the Islamists”, UKIP’s X profile said.