Met Police impose strict conditions on UKIP demonstration and counter-protest amid 'serious disorder' fears

"UKIP's Whitechapel crusade will now start outside the Brompton Oratory, a Catholic church in Kensington and Chelsea, and end by Marble Arch in the City of Westminster. The rally is part of a series of events taking place across Britain which were promoted as a mass deportations tour. Stand Up To Racism are holding a counter-protest UKIP leader Nick Tenconi hit back at the ban with an angry response accusing the Met of caving into the Islamists and violating our democratic right to peaceful assembly."

"But the Met said it was also aware of plans by some SUTR protesters to stage a counter protest in central London against the revised UKIP march. It is our continued belief that if these two groups were to come together there would be a risk of serious disorder, the Metropolitan Police said. In response it has banned SUTR from gathering in an area of central London including where the Ukip protest will take place."

"Commander Nick John, who is in charge of public order policing in London this weekend, said: Our role in relation to the policing of protest is to ensure that they take place peacefully, that offences are dealt with, that they do not cause excessive disruption to the ordinary lives of local residents, visitors and businesses and to ensure that where there is a prospect of disorder we take action to prevent it."

UKIP's Whitechapel march will start outside the Brompton Oratory in Kensington and Chelsea and end at Marble Arch in Westminster. The rally is part of events across Britain promoted as a mass deportations tour. Stand Up To Racism plans a counter-protest and a solidarity march is due in east London. The Metropolitan Police reroutes the UKIP march and bans SUTR from gathering across central London, citing a risk of serious disorder if opposing groups gather in close proximity. UKIP leader Nick Tenconi accuses the Met of caving in and violating the democratic right to peaceful assembly. Commander Nick John says policing aims to keep protests peaceful.

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