Police have banned a United Kingdom Independence Party (Ukip) demonstration from taking place in Whitechapel and anywhere else in Tower Hamlets due to concerns about serious disorder. The protest was scheduled for Saturday afternoon and was part of a "mass deportations tour" with organisers calling on attendees to "reclaim Whitechapel from the Islamists".
The event was initially planned as a march from Whitechapel station in east London before being revised to an assembly in the same area. A counter-protest organised by Stand Up To Racism and local groups was also expected to take place.
Police Decision and Authority
Commander Nick John, who leads public order policing operations in London, said Tower Hamlets has the largest percentage of Muslim residents anywhere in the UK. He explained: "The prospect of this protest taking place in the heart of the borough has been the cause of significant concern locally."
Police imposed Public Order Act conditions on Tuesday preventing Ukip from holding its protest anywhere in Tower Hamlets borough. Commander John stated: "It is our assessment that there is a realistic prospect of serious disorder if it was to go ahead in the proposed location."
He added that the disruption would be compounded by "two large protests taking place on a key arterial route through east London". The commander warned: "Anyone who tries to assemble, in breach of the conditions, or who encourages others to do so, will face arrest."
Party Response and Broader Criticism
Ukip responded on X claiming police had "caved into the Islamists and violated our democratic right to peaceful assembly in Whitechapel this Saturday". The party said it was reorganising the march for another London location.
The party drew parallels to West Midlands Police's recent decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from attending an Aston Villa game. Ukip stated: "British police are now caving into sectarian violence across the country, which is unacceptable."
The party further claimed: "The Met must decide who is in charge of police strategy, police commanders or Islamist 'community leaders'." Ukip described the announcement as "another blow for our democracy" but vowed to continue campaigning.
Sources used: "Metropolitan Police" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
