Croydon disorder the only real blot on London landscape on night of mass gatherings

A top cop has praised Londoners for their behaviour as anti-fascist rallies held sway over any planned gatherings of anti-immigration gangs last night.

Social media platforms had suggested there could be mass gatherings of unruly mobs last night, but the evening passed off peacefully for the most part, with hundreds of extra police on duty.

The only exception to the rule was in Croydon, where some trouble was reported.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Andy Valentine said: “This evening more than 1,000 officers were deployed in London, ready to respond to events planned across the city.

“They were ready to protect our communities from hateful, divisive and violent behaviour.

“Two large anti-racism protests took place in Waltham Forest and Finchley. The majority of people engaged with officers and complied with conditions. These events passed without major incident or disruption.

“However, officers did face anti-social behaviour from a small group in Croydon who were not related to any protest, but were intent on causing trouble.”

Mr Valentine added: “Our top priority has been to keep our communities safe, prevent significant disorder and swiftly deal with any offenders. A number of arrests were made across the city this evening.

“We used a range of powers as part of our policing operation in order to keep people safe, giving officers extra powers to stop and search people and request the removal of face coverings. As a result, officers seized a number of weapons.

“I want to thank our communities for coming together across the capital and for showing community spirit this evening. I would also like to thank the committed officers who have been working hard to police London today, serving their communities and keeping people safe.”

A total of 10 people were arrested in Croydon, including four for violent disorder. One was detained for assaulting an emergency worker, four for breaching a Section 35 dispersal order and one for going equipped for arson.

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