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Police officers were injured and five people were arrested as scuffles broke at a 'free Tommy Robinson' protest in central London.

Thousands of protesters descended on Trafalgar Square for the protest before marching to Whitehall after the right wing activist was jailed for breaking contempt of court laws.

Footage posted on social media shows a large group of men surrounding police and hurling objects while shouting "we want Tommy out".

Five police officers were hurt at the protest on Saturday, none seriously, Scotland Yard said.

The Met Police confirmed that five arrests have been made including two for assaulting a police officer.

One was arrested for possession of a flare while another was detained for possession of an offensive weapon.

A fifth person was later arrested for criminal damage to a bus.

Riot police were forced to block the gate down the Mall leading to Buckingham Palace amid the troubling scenes.

In one incident, hundreds of supporters crowded onto an open-top Megabus sightseeing vehicle waving Union Jack Flags, while one supporter posed on the roof in a Donald Trump mask.

A spokeswoman for megasightseeing.com said: "Our London sightseeing bus was on its normal route when it got caught up in the demonstrations.

"The bus was stormed by demonstrators and the driver and a small number of customers got off.

"The demonstrators have caused a significant amount of damage to the bus which meant it had to be towed away.

"We have reported this to the police and will help them with any investigations."

By 6pm, officers had removed protesters from the bus and had kettled those that remained on a traffic island overhead.

Dutch far-right MP Geert Wilders, who campaigned last year to become Dutch Prime Minister, was among those attending the march, as was UKIP leader Gerard Batten.

Mr Wilders was banned from Britain in 2009 over a film about Islam only to later get it overturned.

A counter-protest was also been organised in central London by campaign groups Stand Up To Racism and Unite Against Fascism.

It comes after Robinson last month admitted contempt of court following his arrest for streaming a Facebook live video outside Leeds Crown Court.

The charges relate to him publishing information that could prejudice an ongoing trial which is subject to blanket reporting restrictions.

The 35-year-old received 10 months for contempt of court and a further three months for breaching the terms of a previous suspended sentence.

He was already subject to a suspended sentence for contempt for filming in court during a rape trial in Canterbury last year.

His sentence can be revealed for the first time after reporting restrictions were lifted.

More than 600,000 people have signed a petition calling for Mr Robinson to be freed.