London protest today: What time are the protests taking place - as thousands to descend on capital for Tommy Robinson and Stand Up To Racism rallies
Thousands of people are set to descend on the capital for a rally organised by activist Tommy Robinson, and a counter-protest.
A counter-protest, dubbed March Against Fascism, organised by Stand Up To Racism (SUTR), is also due to take place in the city on Saturday. Around 1,000 officers will be deployed in London in a bid to prevent clashes between protesters with opposing views.
The Unite the Kingdom march and rally organised by Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, will see demonstrators arrive in Stamford Street near Waterloo Bridge at 11am to march towards the southern end of Whitehall. The march will begin at 11:30am.
Counter protesters from Stand Up To Racism (SUTR) will gather in Russell Square from midday before marching via Kingsway, Aldwych and the Strand to the northern end of Whitehall for a rally. It is hoped the routes will keep the two protests apart.
A massive police operation is taking place amid fears of violence involving protesters. The Metropolitan Police has called in 500 reinforcement officers from across the UK to help .
Around 1,000 officers will be responsible for the two protests taking place in central London, the force said. More than 1,600 officers will be deployed as part of the overall public order policing operation in the city, on a busy day for events.