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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Lucy Campbell

UK protests: Far-right demonstrators clash with London police – as it happened

Evening summary

  • Police were pelted with bottles and flares during violent clashes with far right protesters in central London. Thousands of right-wing demonstrators claimed to be there to ‘defend’ monuments like the Cenotaph from a Black Lives Matter protest (which had been cancelled). With little to ‘counter-protest’, groups including veterans, football hooligans and far-right extremists descended into rioting and attacks on officers who were stationed to – wait for it – protect those very statues. There were reports of heavy drinking, chants of “England” and Nazi salutes, which is very confusing given they were supposedly there to ‘protect’ the statue of Churchill who, er, led Britain in war against the Nazis. Nope, me neither.
  • The home secretary Priti Patel said these were acts of “unacceptable thuggery” and “perpetrators should feel the full force of the law”. The appalling, riotous scenes were swiftly condemned by MPs and other public figures. However, the prime minister Boris Johnson, who has previously condemned violent minorities hijacking BLM protests as “thugs”, has yet to comment on today’s activities.
  • Meanwhile, Black Lives Matter protests took place across England. Among them was a large, socially distanced demonstration on the Brighton seafront and marches in Newcastle, Bristol and St Albans.
  • A socially distanced military ceremony was held at Windsor in place of Trooping the Colour to mark the Queen’s official birthday.
  • The UK death toll rose by 181 to 41,662.

That’s all from us today on the UK side. If you’d like to continue following the Guardian’s coverage of the pandemic, head over to the global live blog for the worldwide picture.

Updated

Rightwing demonstrators, who announced they would turn out on Saturday to protect London’s monuments from anti-racism protesters, were involved in scuffles with police outside Parliament.

In and around Parliament Square, hundreds of people wearing football shirts, chanting ‘England, England’ and describing themselves as patriots, gathered alongside military veterans at the Cenotaph war memorial.

The group sang songs in support of rightwing activist Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, who goes by the name of Tommy Robinson. ‘Winston Churchill, he’s one of our own,’ they also chanted, near his statue which last weekend was sprayed with graffiti reading: ‘Churchill was a racist’.

Police officers have entered the crowd and are now talking to demonstrators who remain in Parliament Square in the capital, PA Media reports.

The 5pm curfew has passed and around 200 people are still in the area, with most focused around the statue of Churchill. A police helicopter continues to fly overhead.

The Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood has called for the man in the picture below, who was part of the far-right gathering in Westminster today, to be identified.

The image shows a man urinating on a memorial erected to honour PC Keith Palmer, the police officer who was killed while protecting Parliament during the Westminster Bridge terrorist attack in 2017. Ellwood had desperately performed CPR on Palmer at the time of the attack but the officer could not be saved.

The plaque was erected outside the Houses of Parliament last February as a lasting tribute to Palmer’s bravery and sacrifice.

Updated

Further 181 deaths recorded bringing UK death toll to 41,662

Away from the violent scenes involving far-right groups in Westminster, the Rt Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin, Bishop of Dover, addressed a peaceful Black Lives Matter march in Canterbury and spoke of the need for people to be the change they want to see.

Greeting protesters outside Canterbury Cathedral, she said:

Let’s together, in harmony, make the change that needs to happen.

And if there is anyone in this crowd who has any idea of anything else, please, I’m telling you, that takes away from what we are wanting to achieve.

So let’s work together - I am with you.

The crowd at the London protest has thinned out after one of the exits to Parliament Square was opened, according to PA.

A few hundred people remain in the area around the Houses of Parliament and the statue of Churchill.

They remain gathered around an hour ahead of the 5pm deadline imposed by police for protests to end.

A very interesting thread from the Telegraph’s Ed Clowes at the riot in Whitehall

Demonstrators at the Bristol cenotaph shouted “Scum” and “Fascists” at supporters of Black Lives Matter, PA Media reports.

They also repeatedly sang “There’s only one Winston Churchill...,” and then broke into a rendition of God Save The Queen.

A man briefly climbed on top of the plinth where slave trader Edward Colston’s statue had stood for more than 100 years in Bristol city centre until it was torn down last week by supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement.

To a large round of applause and singing, he unfurled a union flag and waved it around before getting down.

A man climbs on top of Colston’s former plinth during a protest in Bristol.
A man climbs on top of Colston’s former plinth during a protest in Bristol. Photograph: Rod Minchin/PA

Updated

Here are some images from a peaceful Black Lives Matter demonstration in Newington Green, London.

In Bristol, a large group of bikers drove off to a round of applause from those gathered at the cenotaph.

After they left there was some shouting between some of the protesters and a passing group of young adults and breaking glass could be heard.

Uniformed police officers spoke to several of the men and the situation calmed down.

Nearby, around a dozen supporters of the Black Lives Matter group gathered holding handwritten placards and stood in silence watching the main demonstration.

A large number of police stood between the two groups.

People gather peacefully at the Bristol cenotaph, today, for an All Lives Matter protest watched by Avon and Somerset police.
People gather peacefully at the Bristol cenotaph, today, for an All Lives Matter protest watched by Avon and Somerset police. Photograph: Rod Minchin/PA

Updated

At the London protests several lines of police are now facing up against around 200 demonstrators near the Cenotaph. Protesters continue to shout and some are still trying to push through the barriers.

More police are arriving to support those at the barrier, including at least two with police dogs. There is a large amount of broken glass on the street behind the officers after bottles were thrown, and a small number of protesters continue to guard the Cenotaph itself within the police cordon.

Updated

A further 67 people who tested positive for Covid-19 have died in hospital in England.

This takes the total number of recorded deaths in hospitals in England to 27,927, NHS England said.

Updated

In Northern Ireland people living alone are able to reunite with their families on Saturday after three months of coronavirus lockdown.

They will be able to meet with one other household to combat loneliness caused by the social-distancing restrictions, the first minister, Arlene Foster, said.

It means an isolated grandparent will be able to see and hug their grandchildren again, and partners separated by the pandemic since March can meet up without needing to observe a 2-metre distance. People can also stay overnight if they wish.

The number of people who can meet outside has increased from six to 10, but social distancing must still be observed by these groups to limit the risk of transmission.

Elsewhere on Saturday, several hundred people attended a demonstration outside Belfast’s city hall to protect war memorials after several statues were threatened in England and elsewhere. The demonstration passed off without any incidents.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland had urged people to avoid attending public gatherings and “to put public safety first and stay away”.

It said health protection guidelines are still in place to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

All non-essential shops and shopping centres were able to reopen on Friday as Northern Ireland became the first part of the UK to make the move. Shops in the Irish Republic opened on Monday, with shopping centres to open next week.

On Friday, the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra) published its latest figures which includes all fatalities where Covid-19 is mentioned on a death certificate. By 5 June, it had recorded 779 deaths in total and it said such deaths had now fallen for the sixth consecutive week.

Updated

Protesters have been partly kettled by police in Parliament Square, with all exits now apparently blocked by police in riot gear.

Police in riot gear block an exit from Parliament Square.
Police in riot gear block an exit from Parliament Square. Photograph: Damien Gayle/The Guardian

Although numbers have thinned since earlier, some protesters who have remained are becoming confrontational with police now, chanting and arguing with officers on police lines.

There were confrontations with officers at Westminster Bridge earlier, now protesters are facing off with police at Great George Street.

An officer said one road from the square had been left open for people to leave.

Earlier the Metropolitan police said a section 60 order had been imposed on the entire area, allowing officers to stop and search without suspicion.

Updated

Public Health Wales has said a further six people have died after testing positive for Covid-19, taking the total number of deaths to 1,441.

There were 45 new confirmed cases of the virus, bringing the total to 14,703 since the beginning of the outbreak.

Updated

Two further coronavirus-linked deaths have been reported in Northern Ireland, taking the total recorded by the Department of Health to 541.

There were three new confirmed cases of the virus, bringing the total to 4,841 since the pandemic began.

This, from Danny Wallace, will be left here.

This is from the shadow home office minister Jess Phillips

Public Health Wales said a further six people have died after testing positive for coronavirus, bringing the total there to 1,441.

A very important point raised by the BBC’s Lewis Goodall.

The Black Lives Matter protest was called off amid fears of clashes with right-wing counter-protesters, who have been clashing violently with police for the last few hours.

Back in central London, demonstrators have clashed with police close to Westminster Bridge, with glass bottles thrown towards the officers and their vans, PA Media reports.

At least one officer held up a baton towards the protesters who are chanting “You let your country down” at the police.

Other protesters in Parliament Square have marched towards the boarded-up monument of Churchill. Singing Rule Britannia and the national anthem, some had started banging on the sides of the hoarding.

This is from LBC’s EJ Ward

Updated

A total of 2,447 patients have died in Scotland after testing positive for coronavirus, up by five from 2,442 on Friday, the Scottish government has announced.

New statistics show that 15,730 people have tested positive for the virus there, up by 21 from 15,709 the previous day.

There are 983 people in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19, a rise of 69 in 24 hours. Of these patients, 20 were in intensive care, down by one from the previous day.

More than 1,000 protesters have gathered in Brighton to stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter demonstrations worldwide.

Forming a mile-long line along the seafront, activists wearing black clothes and masks and carrying signs held a silent protest on Saturday afternoon.

Observing social distancing where possible, the Brighton protesters joined together in applause in the balmy sun.

Before the silent protest, the organiser Ellie Ruewell said to those planning to attend:

We will be lining the closed Madeira Drive road along the seafront to show solidarity to all BIPOC (black, indigenous, people of colour) communities who continuously and tirelessly have their human rights challenged and fear dangerous oppression from authorities and governments alike.

I need to again stress this is a peaceful, silent protest where we stand in solidarity.

Protesters held signs calling out racism and prejudice, with one saying:

If you had time to watch Tiger King, you had time to learn.

Another echoed the phrase chanted across the world:

No justice. No peace.

The demonstration was watched over by Sussex police, with officers on foot and motorcycle seen at the edges of the crowd.

Many of the protesters were later expected to join a separate event, marching through the streets of the East Sussex city.

Protesters take part in a silent vigil on Madeira Drive/Brighton Pier.
Protesters take part in a silent vigil on Madeira Drive/Brighton Pier. Photograph: Andrew Matthews/PA

Updated

Several hundred people have gathered at the Cenotaph in Bristol city centre, PA Media reports.

Protesters held up “All lives matter” banners, but said they were not far-right supporters.

One read:

Not far right just ordinary people of all races from Bristol, Bath, Cardiff, Newport etc. United to defend the Cenotaph to defend the memory of people who died so that we are able to have the freedom to protest.

Among those gathered was a large contingent of bikers who parked their motorbikes next to the war memorial.

Video footage posted on social media showed several protesters removing the Black Lives Matter placards which had been left at the plinth where the Edward Colston statue stood until last weekend when it was pulled down and dumped in Bristol Harbour.

There was a large police presence in the centre of Bristol watching those gathered, although from a distance. Among the dozens of police on duty were dog handlers and mounted officers.

The gathering comes six days after a Black Lives Matter demonstration in the city during which the statue of the slave trader Colston was torn down.

Updated

As we’ve been reporting, thousands of right-wing protesters have descended on central London in spite of police and government warnings to stay away amid the coronavirus pandemic.

A Black Lives Matter demonstration planned for today was brought forward a day over fears there would be clashes with far-right groups, and organisers urged people not to stage anti-racism rallies this weekend.

However, people watching the events unfold are unsure about what the “counter-protesters” are trying to achieve, or what they’re actually angry about.

It has been pointed out that they claim to want to “defend” symbols of British history, yet they are violently clashing with police officers who are there to, er, protect the monuments.

Then there is video footage which appears to show demonstrators “defending” Churchill’s statue and the Cenotaph by performing Nazi salutes and chanting “Eng-er-land”. This, again, is very confusing.

Updated

These are from Hope Not Hate

Updated

From the BBC’s Dominic Casciani

In Parliament Square, several thousand mainly white protesters milled around, many of them drinking. Many police present were equipped with riot gear, but they carried their helmets rather than wearing them.

The atmosphere was rowdy, with rumours of the arrival of “Anteefa” met with a surge towards the Victoria Street corner of the square and a face-off with police.

Protesters hurled cans and a smoke canister at mounted police, who were initially pushed back but then advanced again to regain their previous positions. The incident passed without serious violence erupting, but police began strengthening their positions around the square.

One protester told the Guardian that Antifa counter-protesters had made appearances a couple of times already at the demonstration. Protesters could be overheard asking each other: “where are Antifa?” and speculating over whether antifascist counter-protesters would arrive.

Earlier, on Parliament Street, at the opposite corner of the square, hundreds standing at a police line chanted “En-ger-land” and sang God Save the Queen. They broke into applause when a parade of veterans arrived, passing behind the police line carrying a flag with regimental colours.

In the square, several statues, including those of Winston Churchill and Gandhi, had been boarded off. On the statue of Churchill, someone had stuck up a poster with a silhouette of a second world war soldier and a message that read: “Do not destroy our history. Keep our history and learn from it so the same mistakes don’t happen again.”

According to Hope Not Hate, a press photographer suffered a broken nose in a confrontation with some protesters. Video on the antiracist group’s Twitter feed showed him being led away by police. The Guardian chose not to engage directly with protesters and ask for interviews.

Updated

The shadow home secretary, Nick Thomas-Symonds, hascondemned those “who seem intent on causing violence and division” and called scenes of violence against police officers “completely unacceptable”.

Updated

Police on horseback are pushing demonstrators back from the other end of Parliament Square, near the boarded-up statues of Nelson Mandela and Gandhi, PA Media reports.

Many of the protesters began running towards the other end of the square.

Several bottles and cans were thrown at the officers, and a device emitted dark smoke into the crowd. Some of the demonstrators are blocking others in their group from the police horses.

Updated

From LBC’s Matthew Thompson

From JOE’s Oli Dugmore

This is from Dan Sabbagh

Home secretary calls violent attacks on police 'unacceptable thuggery'

The home secretary, Priti Patel, has called acts of violence towards the police by right-wing protesters in Westminster “unacceptable thuggery” and said perpetrators “should expect to feel the full force of the law”.

Video footage shows protesters drinking alcohol, chanting “England, England, England” and throwing glass bottles at officers blockading Whitehall.

The BBC’s Dominic Casciani reports that the Met police have imposed a Section 60 power, which allows officers greater use of stop-and-search powers.

Updated

Police on horseback and with shields and helmets have arrived at the right-wing demonstration in London, PA Media reports.

Around 100 protesters have returned to the barrier manned by officers near the Cenotaph, chanting Lee Rigby’s name and singing the national anthem.

Cans and glass bottles, including a large vodka bottle, have been thrown towards officers.

Updated

Demonstrators have gathered in Newcastle city centre in a second show of solidarity with the global Black Lives Matter movement.

Activists from Stand Up To Racism North East urged protesters to observe physical distancing and wear face coverings during the demonstration.

A counter-protest by Defenders of Newcastle also gathered in the city centre, where there is a heavy police presence this afternoon.

Black Lives Matter protesters at the Grey’s Monument in Newcastle.
Black Lives Matter protesters at the Grey’s Monument in Newcastle. Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA
Demonstrators hold signs at a Black Lives Matter protest in Newcastle.
Demonstrators hold signs at a Black Lives Matter protest in Newcastle. Photograph: Lee Smith/Reuters
‘Racism is a pandemic’ reads one placards at a Black Lives Matter protest in Newcastle.
‘Racism is a pandemic’ reads one placard at a Black Lives Matter protest in Newcastle. Photograph: Lee Smith/Reuters
Black Lives Matter protesters hold up a sign with the image of George Floyd at the Grey’s Monument in Newcastle.
Black Lives Matter protesters hold up a sign with the image of George Floyd at the Grey’s Monument in Newcastle. Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA
Police wearing PPE at the Black Lives Matter protest and counter-protest in Newcastle.
Police wearing PPE at the Black Lives Matter protest and counter-protest in Newcastle. Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA
Counter-protesters wearing protective masks stand during a Black Lives Matter protest in Newcastle.
Counter-protesters wearing protective masks stand during a Black Lives Matter protest in Newcastle. Photograph: Lee Smith/Reuters
Counter-protesters stand during a Black Lives Matter protest in Newcastle. The sign says ‘All lives matter’.
Counter-protesters stand during a Black Lives Matter protest in Newcastle. The sign says ‘All lives matter’. Photograph: Lee Smith/Reuters

Updated

At Hyde Park on Saturday morning it looked as if most Black Lives Matter protesters had heeded calls to stay away from central London, with just a few antifascists present and two stalls run by the Socialist party selling news papers.

The London Antifascist Assembly (LARAF), a group that has rallied to oppose nearly all rightwing mobilisations in London in recent years, became the latest group to call off its protest late on Friday night, and encouraged its supporters to attend local BLM protests instead.

The decision to call off the rally came after a crackdown by the Metropolitan police on would-be protesters. Officers visited some people at their homes by police, the Guardian was told. Three protesters affiliated with green anarchist groups were arrested at Friday’s BLM rally in Hyde Park and police also raided a squatted anarchist social centre in Islington on Friday night, according to the anarchist newspaper Freedom.

Updated

Daisy, 26, from Pimlico, passed demonstrators in Parliament Square as she went for a run at around 10.30am and said many were already drinking alcohol.

There were also reports of drinking and bottles being thrown at police by far-right groups in Whitehall.

She told PA:

They were all drinking beers and there was already loads of cans lying round on the floor treating it like it was some sort of football away-day.

It was a really tense and hostile atmosphere. I didn’t stay too long ... it was really uncomfortable.

Updated

This is from JOE’s Oli Dugmore

A right-wing protest is underway in central London as the official Black Lives Matter march was called off.

These are from the Guardians’ Dan Sabbagh in Whitehall

Updated

The culture secretary, Oliver Dowden, has waded into the debate about the role of statues and monuments in public history.

In a letter sent to MPs, peers and councillors, Dowden said heritage should be used to educate people about all aspects of Britain’s morally complex past “rather than air brushing history”.

He said he had spoken to Heritage England to ensure its approach remained against removing ‘contested heritage’.

Updated

This is from Huck magazine

And here are some more pictures from the scene in Whitehall.

A group gathers around the Winston Churchill statue in Parliament Square.
A group gathers around the Winston Churchill statue in Parliament Square. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
Right-wing demonstrators are blocked by the police near at the cenotaph.
Right-wing demonstrators are blocked by the police near at the cenotaph. Photograph: Andy Hall/The Observer
A counter-protestor in front of the Houses of Parliament.
A counter-protestor in front of the Houses of Parliament. Photograph: Vickie Flores/EPA
Counter-protestors gather in Parliament Square ahead of a Black Lives Matter protest.
Counter-protestors gather in Parliament Square ahead of a Black Lives Matter protest. Photograph: Vickie Flores/EPA
Paul Golding, far-right political activist and the leader of Britain First, at the foot of the statue of Winston Churchill.
Paul Golding, far-right political activist and the leader of Britain First, at the foot of the statue of Winston Churchill. Photograph: Andy Hall/The Observer

Updated

As several hundred demonstrators block roads around Parliament Square, police officers are encouraging them to move back on to the pavements, PA Media reports.

A demonstrator from south London, who gave her name as Victoria, was in the square with a banner reading “All lives matter”.

Discussing controversial statues, she told PA:

It’s the past. You’ve just got to learn to live with it, they’ve done what they’ve done but it’s still in the records they did good things.

I’ve got things I don’t want to remember, but I wouldn’t go smashing things up because of it.

Other police officers remain in a line blocking access to the Cenotaph on Whitehall, with some holding shields.

Updated

Police form a barrier in front of the boarding surrounding the Cenotaph.
Police form a barrier in front of the boarding surrounding the Cenotaph. Photograph: Andy Hall/The Observer

Updated

Starting today, single adult households in England are able to form a “support bubble” with another household.

Here is a handy guide to the new rules put together by PA.

Who is covered by the new arrangements?
Adults living alone or single parents living with children under the age of 18.

What will they be able to do that they could not before?
They can form a bubble with one other household which means they will effectively be treated as a single household for the purpose of the lockdown rules.
That means they can visit each other indoors in their homes – staying overnight if they wish – and they will not have to observe the 2-metre social-distancing rule.

Who might benefit?
Older people living alone could form a bubble with the household of an adult son or daughter, enabling them to visit and even hug their grandchildren for the first time since lockdown.

Single parents could pair up with their own parents, allowing them to share childcare duties and reuniting grandparents and grandchildren.

Couples who do not live together will be able to visit and to stay with each other.

If one half of a couple shares a flat or house with one or more other people, they can see their partner as long as they live alone, but if their partner also shares a home they cannot see each other.

And if several people share a flat or house and all have partners who live alone, only one will be able to see their partner, which could lead to some interesting conversations. This will affect large numbers of young people living in towns and cities.

What about households where both grandparents are still living - can they now visit their children and grandchildren?

At this stage only if their son or daughter is the only adult in the other household in the bubble. And if the grandparents have two or more children who live alone, they will have to choose between them.

Downing Street has acknowledged not everyone will benefit from the change, although officials have hinted at a further loosening of the rules if the coronavirus outbreak continues to decline.

Can households form more than one bubble?
No. The arrangement must be exclusive with no switching of bubble partners.

Will people have to formally register these bubble arrangements?
No, it will be taken on trust. No 10 says the public has shown “great responsibility” in following the social distancing rules so far.

Is there any limit on the distance between households in a bubble?
No, although officials are suggesting people should try to “stay local” where possible.

What about vulnerable people who are shielding due to their age or health problems?
At the moment, officials say it is too soon for them to be able to join support bubbles.

What about parents who are separated but who currently share childcare, with the children moving between the two households?
That will continue. If the parents are the only adult in the household they can form a bubble with another household – meaning the children could potentially be in two bubbles, one for each parent.

What happens if someone in a bubble develops coronavirus symptoms?
All members of both households in the bubble must self-isolate for 14 days.

Does this apply only to England?
A scheme in Northern Ireland has also been brought in from Saturday. This is for a person who lives alone, and can visit someone else’s private dwelling, including staying one or more nights. If they have a child or children living with them they do not qualify. This will be be reviewed on Monday.

Updated

Here are some more videos from the Queen’s socially distanced birthday ceremony, which was held at Windsor in place of Trooping the Colour.

Several hundred people are now gathered in central London, with many centred around the Cenotaph, PA Media reports.

A large crowd of demonstrators are on Whitehall singing the national anthem. Several were seen wearing military-style hats or jackets.

A line of police officers has advanced, blocking more protesters from accessing the Cenotaph.

A group with far right links gathers around the Cenotaph.
A group with far right links gathers around the Cenotaph. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
A far right group gathers around the Winston Churchill statue in Parliament Square.
A far right group gathers around the Winston Churchill statue in Parliament Square. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Queen's birthday marked with socially distanced military tribute in place of Trooping the Colour

The Queen’s official birthday has been marked with a brief but poignant ceremonial tribute from the military – executed with precision despite social distancing.

Soldiers from the Welsh Guards, who a few weeks ago were manning Covid-19 test centres, staged the unique event in the grounds of Windsor Castle, as the head of state made her first official public appearance since the lockdown was imposed.

The traditional Trooping the Colour ceremony, which normally features hundreds of servicemen and women and thousands of spectators, was ruled out because of the coronavirus pandemic.

But the Household Division – made up of the British’s Army’s most prestigious regiments – has a close affinity with the Queen and was keen to mark the milestone with a ceremony dubbed mini-Trooping.

Lance Corporal Chusa Siwale, 29, originally from Zambia, had a central role in the ceremony which was created by Garrison Sergeant Major Warrant Officer Class 1 Andrew Stokes.

The guardsman, whose regiment is part of the Household Division, said it was a “huge privilege” to be given the key role performing the drummer’s call, during a “very difficult” time for the country.

He said:

Only four weeks ago I was involved with testing key workers for Covid-19 as part of the Welsh Guards’ contribution to the battle against the virus; now I am on parade performing in front of Her Majesty. This is a very proud day for me.

As the Queen arrived in Windsor Castle’s quadrangle the ceremony began when she took her place on a dais and the royal salute was given by the troops and the national anthem was played.

An event like this marking the sovereign’s birthday has not been staged at Windsor since 1895, when a ceremony was held in honour of Queen Victoria.

Normally guardsmen stand shoulder-to-shoulder during drills or when formed up on the parade ground, allowing them to maintain “dressing” - staying in line with one another.

But in keeping with Covid-19 guidelines, they stood 2.2 metres apart, measured by three turns of the garrison sergeant major’s pace stick.

Here is the live stream from ITV News

Updated

The crowd at Parliament Square has now grown to around 150 people, largely white men.

Paul Golding, leader of the far-right group Britain First, said they had turned out to “guard our monuments”, telling the PA news agency:

I am extremely fed up with the way that the authorities have allowed two consecutive weekends of vandalism against our national monuments.

Anyone who comes along today to try and vandalise them will probably be dealt with by all of these Englishmen that turned up, and they’re fed up as well.

When asked about the other boarded-up statues in Parliament Square, including one of Nelson Mandela, Golding said:

Why should we have a communist terrorist mass murderer in the capital city of England? It doesn’t make any sense.

We would like to see that one go, on good grounds, but the rest of them are our historical heritage.

When asked why demonstrators had gathered during a pandemic, with few present wearing masks, Golding referenced the large anti-racism gatherings of previous weeks.

If it’s good for one, it’s good for the other.

People next to the boarded up Churchill statue on Parliament Square before a possible counter-protest by the Democratic Football Lads Alliance against a Black Lives Matter protest.
People next to the boarded up Churchill statue on Parliament Square before a possible counter-protest by the Democratic Football Lads Alliance against a Black Lives Matter protest. Photograph: Jonathan Brady/PA

Updated

Soldiers from the Welsh Guards and musicians from the Massed Band of the Household Division have marched on to the parade area at Windsor Castle ahead of the start of the Queen’s official birthday celebrations (see 10.01am.).

The ceremony has been created in just over two weeks and allows the guardsmen to show their precision marching skills while maintaining a social distance of just over two metres.

The event replaces the Trooping the Colour ceremony normally staged in central London which could not be held in its traditional form because of coronavirus.

Members of the Household Division arriving earlier in preparation for a ceremony to mark the Queen’s official birthday at Windsor.
Members of the Household Division arriving earlier in preparation for a ceremony to mark the Queen’s official birthday at Windsor. Photograph: Toby Melville/AFP/Getty Images

Updated

BMA demands answers over missing BAME pages of Covid-19 disparity report

The British Medical Association (BMA) has demanded an explanation from the government following reports that pages containing recommendations to protect BAME communities were removed from last week’s Covid-19 disparity review.

In a letter sent to the health secretary Matt Hancock, Dr Chaand Nagpaul CBE, the head of the BMA, called for the 69 missing pages containing seven recommendations to be published immediately.

He said:

I’m finding it inexplicable the government did not release the full report at a time not only when the BAME community suffered so disproportionately with the virus, but also at a time when there was global outcry and outrage to racial inequalities.

Last week, Kemi Badenoch, the minister for women and equalities, told the Commons that Public Health England (PHE) was unable to make any recommendations in its report on BAME people and coronavirus because some of the data needed was not available.

But Prof Raj Bhopal, a scientist who had been asked to peer-review the unpublished recommendations file, told the BBC that parliament had “not been told the full truth”.

He described the recommendations document as an “open secret” and said it had “every hallmark of a [government] report ready to go to the press”.

You can read the full story here.

Updated

A small crowd has gathered around the boarded-up statue of Winston Churchill opposite Parliament, PA Media reports.

Around 50 people, including Paul Golding, the leader of far-right political group Britain First, have assembled in Parliament Square.

Some of the group have also gathered around the nearby Cenotaph, which has also been boarded up.

Several police officers were in attendance and a vehicle carrying police horses was also seen in the area.

The mayor of London Sadiq Khan said the decision to board up statues in the capital had been taken on intelligence that the protests would likely be hijacked by counter-demonstrations by far-right groups. (see 9.37am.).

Police have said those affiliated to the Black Lives Matter protests must remain north of a police barrier erected on Whitehall, while far-right protesters must remain to the south of the line.

A small crowd begins to gather on Parliament Square.
A small crowd begins to gather on Parliament Square. Photograph: Andy Hall/The Observer

Updated

Shetland Staands wi Black Lives Matter is holding an inter-island socially distanced protest – where islanders take posters on their daily walk and photograph themselves for an accompanying online gallery – as well as an accompanying gathering in Lerwick.

The global wave of protest following George Floyd’s death has also swept through the islands, with organisers of Shetland’s main Up Helly Aa Viking festival – which is also infamous for excluding women - announcing that the use of blackface “will not be tolerated” amidst growing pressure for an outright ban.

Mara Ival-Duncan, 19, told the Guardian that Shetland locals had started to educate themselves about the racism she has experienced herself growing up mixed race:

Because Shetland is such a majority white community, they don’t understand microaggressions, don’t realise the many different forms racism comes in and don’t even realise what they’re doing. But with the momentum here and all around the world I can see people starting to educate themselves.

The reforms to Up Helly Aa are particularly significant, she says.

There are still people who are hurt by the fact blackface is now been banned but I think it’s going to shake those people who are still stubborn and don’t want to learn.

In such small and sheltered community, with minimal diversity and lack of exposure to different cultures, being able to stand out against the crowd is a big deal.

A socially distanced protest will be held in Lerwick in solidarity with Black Lives Matter.
A socially distanced protest will be held in Lerwick in solidarity with Black Lives Matter. Photograph: TT/Getty Images

Following a plea from the home secretary for the public not to attend protests this weekend amid the public health emergency (see 9.37am.), the Met commander Bas Javid, brother of former chancellor Sajid, said he understood the depth of feeling of protesters, but asked people not to come to London while shutdown rules are still in force.

If you were planning to come to London, I again would urge you to reconsider, but if you are still intent, please familiarise yourself with what the conditions are.

Please keep yourself safe by complying with government guidance on social distancing.

The Queen’s official birthday will be marked by a new ceremony created amid the “devastating” Covid-19 outbreak, a senior Army officer has said.

Major General Christopher Ghika, whose men will pay tribute to the Queen on Saturday, said the event offers a “unique opportunity” to commemorate the head of state’s milestone.

Windsor Castle will host the ceremony - in place of Trooping the Colour - featuring a small number of Welsh Guardsmen and military musicians taking part in a display of precision marching created to observe social distancing rules.

Ghika, who commands the Household Division and all military support for London’s civil response to coronavirus, said:

The circumstances of the requirement to perform the birthday tribute at Windsor Castle this year are clouded in tragedy.

The effects of Covid-19 have been devastating in terms of loss of life and the threatening of livelihoods of so many across the country.

People have had to endure separation from loved ones, great uncertainty and the suspension of so much of what is special about our national life.

Servicemen from the Household Division - which includes the Welsh Guards - have been formed into a Covid Support Force, with the soldiers carrying out coronavirus tests at regional and mobile sites.

The Welsh Guards and many of those on parade have recently been deployed within the United Kingdom as part of the nation’s response to the virus and so the context of the ceremony is particularly poignant.

An event like this has not been staged at Windsor for the sovereign’s birthday since 1895, when a ceremony was held in honour of Queen Victoria.
An event like this has not been staged at Windsor for the sovereign’s birthday since 1895, when a ceremony was held in honour of Queen Victoria.
 Photograph: Will Oliver/EPA

Normally Guardsmen stand shoulder-to-shoulder during their drills or when formed up on the parade ground, allowing them to maintain “dressing” or staying in line with one another.

But in keeping with Covid-19 guidelines, each soldier will be tasked with standing 2.2 metres apart, measured by three turns of the Garrison Sergeant Major’s pace stick.

When the Queen arrives in the castle’s quadrangle she will receive a royal salute which will be followed by a set of military drills before the colour of the Welsh Guards is trooped.

Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Henry Llewelyn-Usher, the ceremony will last around 20 minutes and broadcaster Huw Edwards will host a BBC One programme covering the event live.

Updated

Winston Churchill’s grandson, Nicholas Soames, has said he was “deeply upset” after his grandfather’s statue was defaced. It has been boarded up ahead of more expected anti-racism protests in London.

The former Conservative minister told the Daily Telegraph (paywall) the incident, in which the word “racist” was scrawled on the monument, shows British society has “lost its compass”.

Soames said the London mayor, Sadiq Khan, was right to heed police advice and board up the statue and the nearby Cenotaph.

I find it extraordinary that millions and millions of people all over the world who look up to Britain will be astonished that a statue of Churchill and the Cenotaph, our national war memorial, could have been defaced in this disgusting way.

These people who are marching did not set out to do this, but a very, very small, extremely explosive group of people who have made a practice of hijacking entirely responsible demonstrations are behaving in an unspeakable and cowardly manner.

It feels like a society that has lost its compass.

Black Lives Matter protesters marching past the covered up statue of Winston Churchill in London on Friday.
Black Lives Matter protesters marching past the covered up statue of Winston Churchill in London on Friday. Photograph: Facundo Arrizabalaga/EPA

Updated

Protesters given 5pm curfew amid concerns rallies could be hijacked by far right

Good morning. With further Black Lives Matter demonstrations planned for this weekend, the home secretary, Priti Patel, has re-issued warnings that there is a “severe public health risk” and that large gatherings at this time remain “illegal”.

In London, the mayor, Sadiq Khan, also urged people to stay away from central London and defended the decision to board up the statue of Winston Churchill and other monuments.

He said the decision was taken amid concerns they could become a “flashpoint for violence” if the protests are hijacked by counter-demonstrations by far-right groups.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme:

We had intelligence that extreme far-right groups are coming to central London, ostensibly they say to protect the statues.

We think that these statues may be a flashpoint for violence and we are worried about extreme far-right groups getting involved in violence, vandalism, disorder with those protesting as part of the Black Lives Matter movement.

That is one of the reasons I am asking people to stay away from central London.

Those affiliated to the Black Lives Matter protests must remain north of a police barrier erected on Whitehall, while far-right protesters must remain to the south of the line.

Khan also accused the home secretary of seeking to score “political points” after she criticised the decision.

She needs to see the intelligence that we have seen that the far right are intending to come to central London.

One of their justifications for doing so is to protect these statues but also they are intending to remove statues of people like Nelson Mandela, so I think we have done the wise, precautionary thing.

Rather than seeking to make political points out of this, what I hope is that central government would work with regional government and the police to make sure there isn’t violence, vandalism or disorder or inadvertently the spreading of the virus.

Police have told those planning on protesting in London that they must be off the streets by 5pm. Khan said protestors who did not disperse after 5pm risked being arrested, including people protesting peacefully.

He told BBC Breakfast:

The police can arrest, detain and charge, ultimately if you breach the conditions.

Please feel free to get in touch to share news tips or stories we should be covering here.

Email: lucy.campbell@theguardian.com
Twitter: @lucy_campbell_

Updated

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