Police have arrested more than 60 people after anti-lockdown protesters gathered in central London in breach of coronavirus restrictions.
A number of demonstrators could be seen being handcuffed by police officers on Saturday afternoon.
Demonstrators – many of whom were not wearing face masks – booed at police and shouted “shame on you” as disorderly scenes unravelled.
The Metropolitan Police said they said they expected the number of people who have been arrested to increase yet further.
“Officers have made over 60 arrests following groups gathering in London today,” the Met said.
“These were for a number of different offences, including breaching coronavirus restrictions. We expect this number to rise. We continue to urge people to go home.”
Current rules in place to curb the spread of coronavirus bar protests from taking place – with the Met Police previously warning demonstrators risk being subjected to enforcement action by officers.
The grassroots group Save Our Rights UK, which says it is working for democracy, had planned a protest on Saturday called Unite for Freedom – Time for Action.
The group took to Twitter to announce a last-minute change to its plan to gather at Kings Cross station on Saturday morning, after it said arrests had been made.
Supporters were instead told to meet at Marble Arch. Three people were arrested outside the station, police said.
A substantial group of demonstrators chanting “freedom” left the park near Marble Arch and marched along a road parallel to Oxford Street. Police walked alongside the protesters who carried placards reading “stop controlling us” and “no more lockdowns”.
Other signs read “ditch the face masks” and “no to mandatory masks”. A flyer for Saturday’s protests mentions a slew of outlandish conspiracy theories related to 5G and the Covid vaccine.
Last weekend saw 12 people arrested and several police officers injured after violence broke out at an anti-lockdown protest in Basildon in Essex.
Leader of Basildon Council, Cllr Gavin Callaghan, tweeted: “Police officers and their families have been put in totally avoidable danger thanks to the idiotic protestors taking to our streets and causing trouble today. I hope the 'protestors’ have the book thrown at them.”
Protesters have held rallies across England since the government introduced the second national lockdown on 5 November.
Additional reporting by Press Association
