Black Lives Matter and far-right protests in London

Different groups of right-wing activists and soccer fans descended on the UK capital, saying they wanted to guard historical monuments that have been targeted in the last week by anti-racism protesters.

London: Protesters from the Black Lives Matter movement, as well as far-right groups, gathered for separate demonstrations in central London on Saturday.

Hundreds of far-right protesters staged a rally in Westminster area, near London's iconic Big Ben, where they pushed a police barricade and threw a missile at police lines.

Elsewhere, in Trafalgar square, a small group of anti-racism protesters were seen gathering.

British police have imposed strict restrictions on Saturday's protests in a bid to avoid violent clashes.

Mayor Sadiq Khan warned that statues in the capital - in particular a statue of Winston Churchill in Parliament Square - could become flashpoints for violence.

Dozens of protesters were arrested during violence last week.

AP