Last night, more than 1,000 police officers were deployed in London, ready to respond to events planned across the city.
Many businesses up and down the country chose to board up windows and close early yesterday, as thousands of police braced for further disorder.
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.
Similar scenes are playing out in other places around the country, including Bristol, Southampton, Birmingham, Liverpool, Sheffield, Accrington, London and Newcastle
Deputy assistant commissioner of the Met Police, Andy Valentine said: “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.
“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. This included the use of Section 60 and 60AA powers across various locations, 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.”
Arrests made included 10 in Croydon for assault, violent disorder, breaching a dispersal order and going equipped for arson.
In Waltham Forest, there were four arrests made for carrying offfensive weapons (namely lock knife and golf club), being drunk and disorderly and obstructing a search.
One was arrested in Hounslow for possession of an offensive weapon.
