Met Police Ban UKIP Protest in Tower Hamlets Over Serious Disorder Fears

Ukip planned a “mass deportations tour” event in Whitechapel on Saturday 25 October, initially advertised as a march from Whitechapel station and later revised to an assembly, with organisers urging attendees to “reclaim Whitechapel from the Islamists”. A significant counter-protest organised by Stand Up To Racism and local groups was expected. The Metropolitan Police imposed Public Order Act conditions banning the Ukip protest from Whitechapel and anywhere in the borough of Tower Hamlets, saying there was a “realistic prospect of serious disorder” and that two large protests would disrupt a key arterial route. Commander Nick John said Tower Hamlets’ large Muslim population made the proposed location a significant local concern, warned that anyone breaching the conditions would face arrest, and said police would continue to engage with organisers about alternative locations while maintaining a sizeable presence. Ukip condemned the decision on X as police having “caved into the Islamists” and said it was seeking to reorganise the march elsewhere, while Tower Hamlets Council has recently moved to “stand up to the far right.”