Thousands of protesters expected to gather in London amid police warnings
Thousands of protesters are expected to gather in London on Saturday as the Metropolitan Police imposed conditions on three separate demonstrations.
A protest organised under the Palestine Coalition, including the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) and Stop The War, will gather at 1pm in Piccadilly near Green Park station before marching to Whitehall for a rally.
A counter-protest, organised by the group Stop The Hate, will be taking place in Coventry Street, near Piccadilly Circus.
The Met Police have imposed conditions under the Public Order Act on both protests meaning participants of the pro-Palestine demonstration must not assemble before 12pm and the procession must remain on a prescribed route, namely Piccadilly to Haymarket to Cockspur Street to Whitehall.
The rally, including any stages being used, must remain within a certain area of Whitehall and conclude by 4.30pm.
Similarly, Stop The Hate demonstration participants or any assembly protesting against the National Demonstration For Palestine march must remain within a specified area on Coventry Street.
Another protest, organised by the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance On China, is scheduled to take place outside the Royal Mint at the north end of Tower Bridge at 3pm in opposition to plans to build a new Chinese Embassy on the site.
Conditions have also been imposed on this demonstration meaning attendees must gather in a specified area in Mansell Street.
A separate protest is due to take place outside the Tesla centre in Park Royal, west London, as part of a campaign encouraging people to boycott the car manufacturer in opposition to owner Elon Musk's work for the US government and controversial political positions.
The electric car giant has already seen shares plunge since the start of the year as the firm has come under pressure from Chinese rivals and amid calls for a boycott over his close ties with US President Donald Trump and far-right causes.
Organisers are encouraging Tesla owners to sell their cars and for people to dump the company's stock.
Tens of thousands of football fans are also expected in the capital at the weekend ahead of Sunday's Carabao Cup final at Wembley.
On Saturday, the Trafalgar Square area, a favourite gathering spot for fans in previous years, will be closed because of ongoing preparations for St Patrick's Day celebrations on Sunday, police said.
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