Protesters will be banned from going near the Cenotaph this weekend as the monument is put under a 24/7 ring of steel ahead of hundreds of thousands joining a pro-Palestine march.
The Metropolitan Police has confirmed exclusion zones will be imposed on Whitehall, Horse Guards Parade, the Westminster Abbey Field of Remembrance and other relevant areas, banning those on the march from these locations.
The Cenotaph will also be shielded by 24-hour police guard in a raft of measures announced ahead of the march on Saturday.
Protesters joining the rally calling for a ceasefire in Gaza must stick to a pre-agreed march route, away from Whitehall and the war memorial. Anyone believed to be part of, or associated with, the pro-Palestinian demonstration trying to assemble in the exclusion zones can be arrested, police warned.
Double the usual number of officers will be on duty, with almost 2,000 expected to be deployed, including 1,000 drafted in from other forces.
In addition, police have imposed a 5pm curfew for the march and speeches, with dispersal zones also in place in Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus.
Police will also have additional powers to search people for weapons amid fears right wing groups who have vowed to “defend” the Cenotaph could clash with pro-Palestine protesters. A Section 60 and 60AA power will be in place around Westminster as well as parts of Wandsworth and Lambeth between 10am on Saturday and 1am on Sunday.
A Met Police spokesman said: “We’ll be using an extensive set of powers to prevent any disruption whatsoever to remembrance events, policing the demonstration as it passes through parts of the capital, while protecting our communities from those intent on inciting hate, violence and disorder.
“The powers we’ve put in place enable us to more quickly and robustly identify and arrest those seeking to use these events to commit crime or cause disorder.”
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