
Violent scenes have erupted in central London as supporters of the right-wing Democratic Football Lads Alliance clashed with police and rival demonstrators during a march and one told officers: 'I'll kill you'.

Hundreds of Football Lads protesters marched from Park Lane to Whitehall - with one of them seen making a Nazi salute - before some of them began to push through police escorts and chaos ensued.

Many could be heard chanting 'Whose streets? Our streets?', as the group marched down Pall Mall on Saturday afternoon in one of their largest demonstrations so far.

Organisers said they were protesting 'returning jihadists', 'thousands of Awol migrants', 'rape gangs and groomers', and 'veterans treated like traitors'.

Vans and riot officers had to separate a rival crowd of counter-demonstrators, many of them masked, who shouted: 'Nazi scum off our streets' at the DFLA in clashes near Trafalgar Square.

Police were at the scene trying to contain the violence that followed the silent march from the far-right group in central London

The Democratic Football Lads Alliance clashed with a counter demonstration organised by Stand Up To Racism and Unite Against Fascism

Counter protests organised by Stand Up To Racism and Unite Against Fascism were also seen at the march clashing with members of the Democratic Football Lads Alliance (DFLA)

Anti-fascist demonstrators protest against a rival march by the Football Lads Alliance march in London on Saturday, October 13

Scores of police on foot and on horseback were at the scene trying to control the increasingly hostile crowd, with many receiving threats from demonstrators

The DFLA claim to oppose all forms of terrorism and extremism and stand up against grooming gangs up and down the country

Dozens of demonstrators could be seen fighting with officers, with one seen threatening a baton-wielding policeman and screaming 'I'll kill you'.

Several hostile-looking men had to be held back from joining in the fighting by their friends.

Police on horseback and wearing riot gear tried to control the swelling groups with police vans trying to block the violent demonstrators in.

Prior to the event they posted: 'From the establishment, the Media and the far left returning jihadists, veterans treated like traitors, thousands of AWOL migrants, Dickens dossier on the establishments paedophile ring, rape gangs and groomers.

'Paedos given weak sentences, epideminc of gang and knife crime, police cuts when we need more, cover ups and political injustices, the constant threat of terror but we still let strangers in.

'The silence is defeaning. So we march in silence. London October 13. Our silence will speak volumes. We are not going away. DFLA are here to stay.'

At Trafalgar Square DFLA marchers traded vicious insults with the counter-demonstrators, with both sides gesturing in a hostile manner at each other as riot police sought to keep them apart, bringing traffic around the landmark to a standstill.

The rally lost momentum at around 4pm, with around one hundred present on Whitehall where a makeshift stage had been erected for various speakers.

The group also posted a video on their Facebook page of members of the group handing in a letter to Downing Street earlier today.

Police officers try to restrain demonstrators as a silent march held by the far-right DFLA turned violent in London today

One demonstrator was seen doing the Nazi salute in front of police officers and demonstrators as chaos ensued

Protesters throng next to Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square during the Democratic Football Lads Alliance march

Hundreds of marchers are held back by police near Trafalgar Square in central London during Saturday's demonstration

Police react to a flare going off during the Football Lads march and counter-demonstration near Trafalgar Square today

A man holds a floral version of what appeared to be a Swansea City badge during the Football Lads Alliance's march today

Mounted police horses react to a flare going off during the rival march against the Democratic Football Lads Alliance

Thousands turn out to hold anti-racism rally in Whitehall in response to the Democratic Football Lads Association (DFLA)

Demonstrator Peter Mantell, 53, from Crayford, told the Press Association: 'I detest some of the people I'm walking with. A lot of them hate people because of the colour of their skin.

'I'm a lefty. But I believe we should have a voice against the people who want to hurt everyone and cause harm.'

Mr Mantell added that he was a supporter of former English Defence League leader Tommy Robinson.

Many members of the crowd seemed extremely hostile to police, screaming at them for perceived inaction against 'paedos and grooming gangs'.

Scores of officers and dozens of police vans separated a group of counter-demonstrators, many of them masked, shouting: 'Nazi scum off our streets' at Trafalgar Square.

A splinter group from the DFLA marchers traded vicious insults with both sides gesturing in a hostile manner at each other as riot police sought to keep them apart, bringing traffic around the famous landmark to a standstill.

One organiser on stage claimed they were 'set up' by police and that anti-fascist protesters had blocked them on their walk.

Scotland Yard said it had made only one arrest so far.

Before the march, Chief Superintendent Andy Walker of the Metropolitan Police, said: 'We police hundreds of events and demonstrations each year and we always facilitate peaceful protest.

'We will adopt a robust intervention policy for anyone who attends and is intent on violence and disorder.'

A police officer is dismounted as he helps stop a breakaway from the main Football Lads Alliance march in central London

Police stop a breakaway from the main Football Lads alliance march in central London on Saturday afternoon

Mounted police horses react to a flare going off on the streets during the demonstration that was held on October 13

A major police operation is deployed as a flare goes off during the Football Lads march and counter-demonstration in London. On Facebook, the march organisers had said they were protesting 'returning jihadists', 'thousands of Awol migrants', 'rape gangs and groomers', and 'veterans treated like traitors'

Thousands turn out to hold an anti-racism rally in Whitehall in response to the Democratic Football Lads Association (DFLA) march taking place in London at the same time

During the anti-racism rally in Whitehall thousands turned up to oppose the Democratic Football Lads Association, formally called the Football Lads Alliance

Originally called the Football Lads Alliance, the group was set up in response to the wave of terror attacks in the UK last year and aimed to unite different clubs against Islam.

Within three weeks of forming, the Football Lads Alliance had 30,000 Facebook members. Thousands pledged to march from St. Paul's Cathedral to London Bridge, three weeks after the attack there last year.

At first, the FLA claimed to be 'inclusive and acceptable to all colors, creeds, faiths and religions', and laid out broad goals such as 'making a safer environment and community for all of our children and grandchildren'.

Hope Not Hate, a group that monitors the far right, said the FLA initially 'made a genuine attempt to ensure that it was not a racist group and tried to focus on Islamist extremists, rather than Islam in general.'

But its second London march last October was joined by alt-right bloggers and far-right activists, including Tommy Robinson, who were eager to push it in a more extreme direction.

Founder John Meighan described FLA supporters as 'just fed up. ... People who've got children and grandchildren, who've grown up in society how it was, and how it is now, and who feel threatened by it.'

At a smaller, more hardline march in Birmingham this year protesters were joined by Tommy Robinson and Anne Marie Waters, leader of the anti-immigrant party For Britain, who said Islam was bringing 'poison' into the country.

Mr Meighan shocked supporters by quitting as leader of the group in April this year, saying he wanted to focus on work and his family.

Only a few hundred supporters turned up to a march in Manchester in May, intended to mark the first anniversary of the Islamist bombing at an Ariana Grande concert which killed 22 people.

At the same time as the demonstrations a Unity demonstration is taking place to oppose the Democratic Football Lads Alliance march

Demonstrators in Trafalgar Square as the right-wing group clashed with rival demonstrators in central London today

A group of counter-demonstrators and anti-fascist demonstrators protest against a rival march by the Democratic Football lads Alliance march from Park Lane to Whitehall

On their Facebook page the DFLA write: 'DFLA are opposing all forms of terrorism and extremism and will stand up against grooming gangs up and down the country'