Armoured vehicles and 4,000 officers in London amid fears of violence at Tommy Robinson-led march on FA Cup Final day

Around 4,000 police officers were being deployed in London amid fears that football hooligans will join a Tommy Robinson-led march on FA Cup Final day.In one of the Metropolitan Police’s biggest-ever public order operations, armoured vehicles, armed police units on standby, mounted police, dog teams, traffic units and large numbers of officers with riot equipment were on the capital’s streets.Police helicopters and drones were being tasked with watching over the Unite the Kingdom march and a pro-Palestine counter demonstration to mark Nakba Day.Live facial recognition was also being used for the first time by Scotland Yard during a public order operation, though not on march routes.Protesters clash with police officers during the ‘Unite The Kingdom’ rally in Westminster last SeptemberGetty ImagesIt was being deployed at a location in Camden borough to target criminals and suspected offenders on a “watch list” if they take part in the Unite the Kingdom march which was expected to be led by Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon.People who chant “death to the IDF” or “Globalise the Intifada” will also face arrest, as will individuals who engage in anti-Muslim hatred.Police will have powers to force people to remove face coverings and will also be able to issue dispersal orders to make people intent on causing trouble leave central London.The designated route for the Unite the Kingdom march on SaturdayMet PoliceStrict restrictions were being imposed on the routes of the two marches and timings.Read MoreDeputy Assistant Commissoner (DAC) James Harman said: “Taken together, these factors give us significant cause for concern as we head into the weekend and require a policing plan that provides us with the most assertive grip on the movement of large numbers of people, large groups, and the potential for serious disorder.”Around 50,000 people are expected by the Met to join the Unite the Kingdom protest, and some 30,000 the march to mark Nakba Day, which commemorates events which caused Palestinians to lose their homes and become refugees during the establishment of Israel.Officers from the Met Police Mounted Branch look toward protesters gathered in Trafalgar Square during the Unite The Kingdom rally last September Getty ImagesThe Unite the Kingdom demonstration was set to officially start in Kingsway before heading to Whitehall via Aldwych and The Strand, with a rally due to take place in Parliament Square.The designated route for the Nakba 78/United Against Tommy Robinson and the Far Right march on SaturdayMet PoliceDAC Harman added: “There comes with it a risk of disorder that needs to be managed, and we need to be mindful this Saturday of the history of football hooligan groups supporting causes fronted by Stephen Yaxley-Lennon.“There are no professional men's games in England on that day other than the FA Cup Final, which increases the likelihood of those groups travelling to London.”Some 660 officers were being drafted in from other forces for the huge public order operation which is expected to cost £4.5 million, including £1.7 million for the bill to pay for police from outside the capital.“In terms of its scale, the number of officers being deployed, some of the tactics we have in reserve, and some of the tactics we will be using, it's unprecedented in recent years,” said DAC Harman.