Thousands of masked protesters have gathered in central London for the annual Million Mask March.

Wearing trademark Guy Fawkes masks, supporters of the hacking collective Anonymous met in Trafalgar Square in Westminster accompanied by scores of police officers.

Scotland Yard has imposed stringent restrictions on protesters after clashes with police, incidents of criminal damage and attempts to invade official buildings at previous years’ events.

The gathering in protest at austerity economics, official corruption, erosion of civil liberties, surveillance and a litany of other causes, is held annually on 5 November, a date seen as symbolic for its connection with the gunpowder plot.

This year, with the date falling on a Saturday, the demonstration was expected to be one of the biggest yet. Nearly 20,000 people had indicated they would attend on the main Facebook event page.

Conditions imposed by police under the Public Order Act restrict any “static assembly” in Trafalgar Square, a cordoned-off area opposite Downing Street on Whitehall, and the centre of Parliament Square. According to these conditions, any march by protesters must begin from Trafalgar Square and stay within an area bounded by the square, Northumberland Avenue, Victoria Embankment, Bridge Street, Parliament Square, Parliament Street and Whitehall.

Activities must start no earlier than 6pm and be finished by 9pm, and any person found to be in breach of conditions may face arrest, police said.

Conditions have been imposed on #MMM2016 in #London - if you are attending familiarise yourself with where & when the event can take place pic.twitter.com/5ZncA1Cont — MPS Events (@MetPoliceEvents) November 3, 2016

Organised online each year since 2011 by the Anonymous collective, the Million Mask March has become a global phenomenon, with linked marches in many major cities, but focused on London.



With no leaders or official structure, events are fluid and anarchic. Crowds of protesters often split off into mini-demonstrations and marches around Westminster, Victoria and the West End. Buckingham Palace is often a focus and last year was heavily defended by mounted police.

Masked protesters hold a flare as they stand on Nelson’s Column. Photograph: Jack Taylor/Getty Images

Throughout last year’s event, attempts by police to block the path of protesters led to confrontations and anger on both sides, with officers striking out with batons and protesters responding with missiles and fireworks. Windows of businesses were smashed and a police car parked close to parliament was set alight.

This year there have been some angry scenes, with police forming a ring outside parliament. Several activists, masked and otherwise, argued they should be free to pass on public roads.

Ch Supt Pippa Mills said the march’s anarchic nature complicated the policing operation. “This event is difficult compared with other events that we police because there is no organiser to engage with, so whereas normally we would work with that organiser to facilitate their protest, and they would give us an idea of numbers, we don’t have that with this,” she said.

Approximately 2,000 officers would be on the streets, including riot police, Mills said. She disagreed with suggestions that policing at last year’s event was heavy-handed.

“Our role is to balance that right to peaceful protest with the right to minimise disruption to the community of people living and working in London. It’s a careful line that we tread when we consider the rights of different people and different groups,” she said.

“The public expects us to police these events. They don’t expect to see groups of people running around central London amok, smashing windows and intimidating people. The public expectation is that the police will do something about this.”

Conditions imposed ahead of the #MMM2016 #MillionMaskMarch in #London on Saturday. Want to protest peacefully? We want to work with you. pic.twitter.com/RZBzWkWUxY — Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) November 3, 2016

The Million Mask March 2016 Facebook page urged protesters to assemble at 6pm at Trafalgar Square then move on once numbers are high.

It read: “We have seen the abuses and malpractice of this government, and governments before it, we have seen the encroaching destruction of many civil liberties we hold dear, we have seen the pushes to make the internet yet another part of the surveillance state, we have seen the government’s disregard for migrants, for the poor, the elderly and the disabled, we have seen the capital, profit and greed of the few put before the wellbeing of the many and we say enough is enough.

“We invite all the activists, the workers, the students, all doctors, nurses and all those that want to see a positive change in the world, to join us, in Trafalgar Square from 6pm, 5 November. The government and the 1% have played their hand, now it is time to play ours.”

At the protest on Saturday, while most marchers opted for a Guy Fawkes mask, the crowd was dotted with people dressed in Darth Vader helmets, while others were wrapped in scarves. One participant blared Fuck tha Police, NWA’s anti-authority anthem, into the procession. Plumes of smoke wafted into the cold night air as the protesters moved past Big Ben, with police marching behind.

Later, some participants paused to read a message projected in green letters on to a building lining Parliament Square.

It read: “Please observe Public Order Act restrictions. Failure to comply may result in arrest and prosecution. Officers may require you to remove facial covering. Failure to comply is an offence.”

It came after members of the crowd ignited fireworks and flares in front of Westminster Abbey.