Rishi Sunak today condemned as ‘despicable’ both ‘EDL thugs’ who attacked police officers and pro-Palestinian protesters pictured openly supporting Hamas following a day of chaos in central London. 

The Metropolitan Police said 105 arrests have been made so far, the ‘vast majority’ right-wing counter-protesters who pelted officers with bottles, cans and metal fences after gathering to ‘protect the Cenotaph’ in Whitehall. 

While the pro-Palestinian march did not see this level of violence it was once again marred by numerous incidents of vile antisemitism, with one marcher holding a sign showing a Jewish Star of David wrapped around a Nazi swastika. 

Police are hunting two men seen wearing headbands supporting Hamas; a man with a sign saying ‘welcome to Gaza, twinned with Auschwitz’; and a woman with a racist banner depicting Mr Sunak and Suella Braverman as ‘coconuts’. 

Meanwhile, officers stopped and searched a group of around 150 pro-Palestine protesters who had broken off from the main demonstration and were letting off fireworks. Organisers say 800,000 people took part in the main march. 

The Prime Minister said the ugly scenes on Armistice Day ‘utterly disrespects’ the spirit of remembrance. He said he would meet Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley to hold him ‘accountable’ for dealing with the disturbances.

Rival groups of demonstrators clashed in Trafalgar Square, with one counter-protester seen wielding a stick. The violent scenes have already sparked a political row, as Labour blamed Home Secretary Suella Braverman for ‘inflaming’ tensions. 

Mr Sunak said in a statement: ‘I condemn the violent, wholly unacceptable scenes we have seen today from the EDL (English Defence League) and associated groups and Hamas sympathisers attending the National March for Palestine. The despicable actions of a minority of people undermine those who have chosen to express their views peacefully.’ 

He said their actions do ‘not defend the honour of our Armed Forces, but utterly disrespects them’, adding: ‘That is true for EDL thugs attacking police officers and trespassing on the Cenotaph, and it is true for those singing antisemitic chants and brandishing pro-Hamas signs and clothing on today’s protest.’

Mr Sunak said he would be meeting the Met chief, adding: ‘All criminality must be met with the full and swift force of the law. That is what I told the Met Police Commissioner on Wednesday, that is what they are accountable for and that is what I expect.’ 

Labour’s shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper also condemned scenes of far-right violence and antisemitic hate. 

‘Today we have seen disgraceful scenes of far-right violence against police officers, and attempts to disrupt Armistice events, on a day when we pay our respect to all those who fought and died to protect our freedoms,’ she said. 

‘We have also seen appalling cases of antisemitic hate, intimidation, and support for terrorist groups like Hamas, which must be unequivocally condemned. Both violence and hate crimes must face the full force of the law.

‘Officers worked in tough circumstances today and we thank each of them. We wish any officers injured a speedy recovery. The impact of our words and actions is great, and it is the responsibility of all of us to strive for peace and unity over fear and division.’ 

Ms Cooper also hit out at her Tory counterpart Suella Braverman for ‘inflaming tensions’ prior to the march.  

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan condemned cases of far-right violence and ‘hate and racism’ at the pro-Palestinian march. He blamed Ms Braverman for the disorder, saying that ‘if she had any honour’ she would resign. 

Meanwhile, the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) said Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley is ‘failing’ Britain’s Jews and has ‘serious questions to answer’ about why the march was allowed to take place.

The group condemned those ‘shouting genocidal chants’, ‘wearing Hamas headbands’ and ‘holding signs comparing Israel to Nazis or prominent minority politicians to coconuts’. 

In a statement, the CAA added: ‘This march should never have been allowed to go ahead, and Sir Mark Rowley has serious questions to answer. Perhaps he should do so to Britain’s Jews, whom he is failing.’  

The Met are braced for further ugly clashes as ‘drunken’ far-right thugs remain holed up in pubs as the pro-Palestinian march continues to disperse. 

Officers surrounded the White Swan pub on Vauxhall Bridge Road and prevented some people from leaving to stop them clashing with demonstrators leaving the main march in Nine Elms. 

Tense scenes erupted outside a second pub, The Duke of York in Victoria Street, as swarms of officers were filmed closing in on a large group of counter-protestors gathered outside.  

It came after hundreds of yobs claiming they wanted to ‘protect the Cenotaph’ clashed with officers in Whitehall this afternoon. Shocking video shows the hooligans – led by Tommy Robinson – throwing bottles and metal barriers at police.

Officers have made more than 100 arrests among the Robinson mob with alleged offences including carrying a knife, assaulting a police officer and possession of a controlled substance.

The main pro-Palestinian march began dispersing from Nine Elms at 5pm. Police are hunting several people pictured with pro-Hamas slogans. Organisers say 800,000 attended. 

This evening, a group of seven thugs were witnessed by a MailOnline reporter trying to attack a lone pro-Palestinian protester after boarding a Circle Line train at Westminster. 

The group immediately targeted the man, who was on his own, asking him if he supported Hamas before becoming aggressive and shouting that he was a ‘paedophile’ and ‘agreed with underage sex’.

As multiple female passengers attempted to intervene and film the encounter, several of the men began verbally abusing them also, continuing to shout ‘paedophile’.

Matters escalated when the men, who were concealing their faces, attempted to punch their original victim and a scuffle broke out. Passengers pulled the emergency alarm and several phoned the police.

Clashes then took place between the protesters and police in Westminster, with images showing one of the men grabbing a riot helmet from an officer and holding it aloft triumphantly.

Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said that hundreds of counter-protest demonstrators had arrived this morning and ‘seemed intent on confrontation and intent on violence’.

He said: ‘There are a number of groups within this counter-protest who are split off and seem intent on seeking confrontation with the main Palestinian march and the policing operation at the moment is being effective in preventing that happening.’

Mr Twist said the main march involved tens of thousands of people and added: ‘This is the biggest march that we’ve seen in this phase and at the moment there are no issues with it.

‘It’s being closely monitored by police and also we have police looking out for any troublemakers that might be intent on causing disruption or seeking a confrontation with people on that main march.’

Clashes then took place between the protesters and police in Westminster, with images showing one of the men grabbing a riot helmet from an officer and holding it aloft triumphantly.

 Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said that hundreds of counter-protest demonstrators had arrived this morning and ‘seemed intent on confrontation and intent on violence’.

He said: ‘There are a number of groups within this counter-protest who are split off and seem intent on seeking confrontation with the main Palestinian march and the policing operation at the moment is being effective in preventing that happening.’

Mr Twist said the main march involved tens of thousands of people and added: ‘This is the biggest march that we’ve seen in this phase and at the moment there are no issues with it.

‘It’s being closely monitored by police and also we have police looking out for any troublemakers that might be intent on causing disruption or seeking a confrontation with people on that main march.’

A statement from the force read: ‘Officers have arrested 82 people in Tachbrook Street, Pimlico to prevent a breach of the peace. 

‘They’re part of a large group of counter protestors we have been monitoring who have tried to reach the main protest march. We will continue to take action to avoid the disorder that would likely take place if that happened.’

They had previously announced four arrests including two which took place not far from Whitehall.

As the afternoon drew to a close, the force said its officers had been forced to intervene to allow an event at the Cenotaph to go ahead unimpeded by right-wing protesters.

A statement read: ‘There is a remembrance event underway at the Cenotaph. Officers have prevented those not involved getting onto Whitehall so it can take place without disruption, as we committed. 

‘They have faced unacceptable violence, including people throwing missiles and a metal barrier. 

‘Those using violence made no effort to use the pavement, which is open along the full length of Whitehall on one side, in order to watch the event taking place. They were solely intent on confronting officers.’

Leading politicians including London Mayor Sadiq Khan blamed the Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, for the outbreaks of violence after her controversial comments earlier this week which described today’s gathering in support of Palestinians as a ‘hate march’.

Elsewhere the force said the pro-Palestine march, which is expected to be attended by up to one million people, got off to a peaceful start and that no incidents have so far been reported. 

Layla Moran, a Liberal Democrat MP who has family in Gaza, laid blame for any trouble caused by the right-wing mob at the Prime Minister’s door.

She tweeted: ‘As the police in central London work to contain the far-right, and everyone starts to blame Suella Braverman, just remember who chose to not only give her the job but also chose not to sack her.

‘Rishi Sunak is as, if not more, responsible for what happens today’.

Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf said Mrs Braverman had encouraged them with her inflammatory rhetoric.

An engineer who attended the pro-Palestinian marches in Park Lane, Westminster, described the protests as being ‘no better way’ to honour Armistice Day.

Inayat Bunglawala, 54, from Luton, said the marches were appropriate, despite some being against the demonstration taking place on the same day as Armistice.

Speaking amidst the crowds on Bressenden Place, Mr Bunglawala told the PA news agency: ‘Armistice Day is meant to commemorate the end of the First World War and the ceasefire that came along with it to end the bloodshed. I think there is no better way to honour Armistice Day than to call for an end to the current bloodshed in Gaza.’

The network engineer described the crowds as ‘colossal’ and said people were ‘deeply respectful of Armistice Day’, despite the marches being described as a ‘hate march’ by Home Secretary Suella Braverman.

‘I saw a colossal crowd coming out with ordinary members of the public and families,’ he said.

‘I’m really happy that a huge crowd has come out. Despite all the intimidatory rhetoric from the Home Secretary, the Prime Minister, other ministers… People have still come out to exercise their democratic rights.’

It came after fights broke out as far-right figure Tommy Robinson and hundreds of his supporters arrived in Whitehall on Saturday as police officers tried to maintain a ring of steel around the Cenotaph ahead of a huge march in solidarity with Palestinians. 

As chants of ‘England till I die’ and ‘Let us through’ echoed close to the war memorial police reinforcements raced to contain the mob as they jostled to be allowed to join the large crowds gathered. 

Dozens broke through a human barrier which appeared to be directly outside Scotland Yard, and police could be seen hitting out at those through with batons, as some of those gathered threw bottles towards officers. 

Far-right figure Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, and his supporters were heard chanting football-style cheers as they overwhelmed police outside the Met’s HQ and flooded onto Whitehall – just minutes before 11am.

Photographs showed protesters unfurled banners reading ‘it’s not Pro-Palestine, it’s anti-British’ during the two-minute silence. No pro-Palestine protesters were anywhere in sight. As it came to a close, protesters chanted ‘England, England’.

Shortly afterwards, the Met Police, which has deployed almost 2,000 officers, released a statement saying it had ‘faced aggression’ from ‘counter-protesters’ and would ‘use all the powers and tactics available to us’ to prevent them from confronting the main pro-Palestine march later.

They added that one of the groups of protesters then headed towards London’s Chinatown, where they ‘confronted and threw missiles at officers who tried to engage with them’.

Video footage showed masked men yelling and swearing at police officers dressed in riot gear as they chanted: ‘You’re not English anymore’.

Police managed to disperse the crowd, splitting them into two smaller groups which were seen running in the direction of Piccadilly Circus. A man was arrested on suspicion of possession of a knife.

A second man has been arrested. He was found in possession of a baton.

Police made at least two arrests close to The Millenium Bridge as the Tommy Robinson supporters dispersed.

The two men were seen in handcuffs surrounded by officers. Four tactical support vans were parked alongside the dozen officers.

Police units kept watch over the far-right mob throughout the afternoon to make sure they did not attempt to travel across London to the pro Palestine March headed from Hyde Park to the US Embassy in Battersea.

Shortly before the incident, far-right thug Tommy Robinson left the scene in a taxi after earlier leading hundreds of people as they massed at barriers in Whitehall.

As chants echoed around the area police reinforcements raced to contain the mob as they jostled to be allowed to join the large crowds gathered at The Cenotaph.

Dozens of officers formed a human barrier to stop them entering the exclusion zone set up ahead of the Armistice Day ceremony, but protesters eventually broke through.

The large crowd of people bearing St George’s flags was seen walking along Embankment and shouting ‘England till I die’.

A line of police attempted to stop them from reaching Whitehall but the group pushed through, with some shouting ‘let’s have them’ as officers hit out with batons.

Military veterans appeared displeased and looked on in disgust as hundreds of people taunted police and shouted out ‘we want our country back’. Some of the mob climbed on a statue to Field Marshall Montgomery outside the Ministry of Defence building.

Pictures showed Tommy Robinson speaking with several police officers. Police equipped with riot helmets kept watch on the group who waved Union Jack and cross of St George flags during the two-minute silence.

As a bugler signalled the end of the silence applause followed by chants of ‘England’ erupted from a section of the crowd. This ended as the wreath laying ceremony began.

Before the ceremony had ended many of the far right supporters had left and walked towards Trafalgar Square. Later Veterans spoke of their anger and disgust at their attendance on the solemn occasion.

Former army sergeant James Fillery said: ‘I am glad that they didn’t disrupt the silence. That would have been so disrespectful.

‘I think many of them thought this was some kind of football match with all their chants. I just thought they were idiots, and I doubt they would have had the guts to serve their country.’

A former military policeman, who gave his name as Rick, said: ‘They are not people. I’m here to pay tribute and remember those who sacrificed their life so that they could be here. It is always a very emotional day, and I just want to focus on the act of remembrance.

Steve Hartshorn, national chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales – which represents rank and file officers, said: ‘Today’s events have spotlighted policing throughout a challenging, volatile, situation.

‘The amount of operational planning leading up to the event, and the hard work of highly skilled, public order-trained police officers on the front line, making decisions in the face of unpredictability, truly is impressive.

‘We will continue to support all members before, during and after delivering policing operations, including ensuring they have access to the best equipment, conditions and remuneration as they carry out this immensely physically demanding work, working incredibly long shifts, to keep the public as safe as possible.’