
Anti-government protesters clashed with police outside Downing Street today despite pleas from Grenfell Tower residents not to let the disaster be 'hijacked' as an excuse for violence.

A group called the Movement for Justice By Any Means Necessary (MFJ) are marching from Shepherd's Bush to Downing Street today hoping to 'bring down the government' and 'shut down London'.

As many as 500 people joined the march which coincided with the Queen's Speech.

Some demonstrators angrily confronted and screamed at police officers, resulting in two arrests, the Met Police confirmed.

Dramatic photos showed several people being detained by police as tempers flared in Whitehall, near Downing Street

Anti-government protesters clashed with police outside Downing Street today despite pleas from Grenfell Tower residents not to let the disaster be 'hijacked'

A demonstrator shouts at a police officer near Downing Street today during so-called 'Day of Rage' anti-government protests

A man is detained by police in Whitehall as numbers of the protesters at the 'Day of Rage' demo swelled during the afternoon

Some demonstrators angrily confronted and screamed at police officers, resulting in two arrests, the Met Police confirmed

Police officers have urged activists to stay calm, insisting the force is already stretched at a time of high terror threat

A group called the Movement for Justice By Any Means Necessary (MFJ) are marching from Shepherd's Bush to Downing Street today hoping to 'bring down the government'. Pictured: A protester scuffles with police

When the group arrived in Downing Street today, activists confronted and screamed at police officers, resulting in a number of arrests

One man was restrained as he screamed in the face of an officer and another male protester was pinned to the floor by police.

As he was being carried away he repeatedly shouted he was a 'peaceful' protester, while those watching chanted: 'Let him go.'

Another skirmish with police resulted in a man being led away in handcuffs, having been seen shouting at the protesters.

Pockets of the demonstration then began bickering among themselves in Parliament Square, while another section listened to speeches attentively.

Some protesters carried banners referring to Grenfell Tower, despite residents of the block urging no violence

Speaking at the start of the march today, Zeyad Cred, who lives in the shadow of Grenfell Tower, told activists: 'I am begging you, please keep this peaceful, as the minute it turns into something else you have ruined it for the residents.

'If you are really here for justice and are really here for the residents of my community and the people who live in that tower block, you have got to keep it peaceful. Do not promote this 'march of rage' - it is not what we need.'

The views echoed those of Mahad Egal, a fourth-floor resident of Grenfell Tower, who posted a video message posted on social media today.

Dozens of officers were brought to calm the situation, forming a tight barrier between the activists and the gates to Downing Street

Pockets of the demonstration then began bickering among themselves in Parliament Square, while another section listened to speeches attentively

Protesters marching in London today left Shepherd's Bush at the start of a 'Day of Rage' anti-government demonstration

Three groups of anti-government protesters are taking to the streets of central London on the day of the Queen's Speech

Protesters held up signs emblazoned with Prime Minister May's face along the words 'LIAR' and others which bore the words 'Tories out!'

He said: 'I would just like to send a message out: please, to all those protesting, we don't need no violence in the community, we do not want that in our name.

'Please do not disgrace those who have been affected in Grenfell by resorting to violence, we need people to come together. The community has come together, we don't need no violence in the community.'

Mr Egal had to run from the tower block when his next-door neighbour told him his fridge had caught fire, moments before the entire building was engulfed.

Despite the pleas, tempers began to boil over outside the gates of Downing Street when protesters and police squared off, with activists yelling angrily.

Dozens of officers were brought to calm the situation, forming a tight barrier between the activists and the gates to Downing Street.

Police worked in 32C heat to contain the demonstrators and were seen detaining at least two men. They have yet to confirm whether arrests were made.

On regular occasions, the demonstrators sang Jeremy Corbyn's name while calling for Theresa May to resign as they marched towards Downing Street.

Police officers and MPs took to Twitter to appeal for respect for police officers during today's 'Day of Rage' protests

A man is detained by police this afternoon. It is unclear whether he was among the demonstrators. Grenfell House residents have urged organisers not to let the diasster be 'hijacked' to justify violence

The numbers taking part in the march swelled as they neared Downing Street. Some of those taking part wore masks

The protesters have been urged by campaigners, politicians and police to keep the demonstrations peaceful and calm

Grenfell Tower survivors have urged the group not to allow the protest to turn violent, as it would betray their cause

Day of rage protesters take to the streets of London Full story: http://dailym.ai/2rRgktG Posted by Daily Mail on Wednesday, 21 June 2017

The protest is taking place after the Queens' Speech, when the monarch came to Westminster to read Theresa May's plans for the extended two-year Parliament, focusing on Britain leaving the EU.

The demonstrations come at a time when the Metropolitan Police is stretched following three terror attacks in the capital this year, on Westminster Bridge, London Bridge and then Finsbury Park on Sunday night.

One Scotland Yard officer went on Twitter to ask: 'Those protesting at the Day of Rage. Police have one message, Don't be a dick! It's hot and we're already exhausted, demoralised & undervalued.'

Another added: 'Day of rage? Once again pushing the beleaguered police. There isn't an inexhaustible amount of police officers, just exhausted ones!'

Zac Goldsmith, MP for Richmond Park tweeted: '#day of rage - just what our emergency services need right now.'

The Met Police says it has put an 'appropriate policing plan' in place. Road closures and armed police patrols were in place this morning.

The Day of Rage organisers have set up a Facebook page to direct the protests, calling for 'class war' and vowing 'no justice, no peace'.

The demonstrators adopted the cause of justice for Grenfell Tower, although some have urged that the issue not be 'hijacked'

As the march passed Trafalgar Square, many activists sang 'Oh, Jeremy Corbyn' and 'Theresa May, guilty of murder'

A female demonstrator screams at a police officer during the anti-government protests this afternoon

Activists lit flares as they entered Trafalgar Square this afternoon during the first of three planned demonstrations

The crowd of protesters swelled as it entered central London. Some shouted 'murderers' as they marched down Piccadilly

The page states: 'For seven years we have lived through brutal austerity, cuts & anti-immigrant attacks leading to countless deaths.'

Groups plan protests throughout the day 11.30am - 'Day of Rage' demonstrators meet in Shepherd's Bush for speeches. 1pm - Protesters march through London to Downing Street. 4pm - London Socialist Party's anti-austerity demonstration in Parliament Square. 6pm - 'Stand Up to Racism' demo against Conservative-DUP alliance. Advertisement

It continues: 'We've felt our power. We've tasted victory. Now we must escalate our actions to take down this rotten government, which has lost all authority to govern.'

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell made a renewed call for a peaceful demonstration this morning.

'Today, people may call it a Day of Rage or whatever, they have got the right, if they want, to be angry, but they haven't got the right to be violent, all protest must be peaceful,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

He later said: 'All protest has got to be peaceful and if you want to see what effective protest is all about I tell you follow the lead of Gandhi, not others.'

Mr McDonnell, who spoke at an event organised by the same group in 2014, has said he will not be attending the protest.

The Metropolitan Police, whose officers were seen scouring Parliament Square today ahead of the ceremony, currently have around 250 officers a day working on the investigation into the Grenfell Tower Blaze, which some have accused the protesters of 'hijacking'.

A range of groups will march through Parliament Square at different times this afternoon, presenting a challenge to police

The demonstration is one of three being held in the centre of London this afternoon, stretching the Metropolitan Police

During the march, protesters demanded that the government stop 'driving the poor and radical minorities out of Kensington'

The Clement James Centre, which has been helping those displaced by the fire, shunned the movement as opportunistic.

'There has been a 'Day of Rage' announced for Wednesday, trying to bring London to a standstill,' a spokesman said yesterday.

'We cannot emphasise enough how against this many of the affected residents we've spoken to are and they do not want their grief hijacked for any violent or destructive means.'

Promotion for today's Day of Rage makes frequent reference to last week's tragedy, which has claimed the lives of at least 79 people and left hundreds more homeless.

As well as the 'Day of Rage' demonstration, two other protests are planned today, one by the London Socialist Party, one by a group called Stand Up to Racism and the other by the MFJ.

The London Socialist Party claim Theresa May 'has no mandate for more austerity' and want the Prime Minister 'to go'.

Armed police have been patrolling Parliament Square this morning ahead of the ceremony

Security was tight around Parliament today as Westminster prepared for the Queen's Speech

Armed police have been patrolling Parliament Square this morning ahead of the ceremony

Security personnel were seen on top of Buckingham Palace as the Queen left this morning

It is expected to be a challenging day for the Met Police with three separate protests planned

The Queen was driven from Buckingham Palace to Parliament to deliver the speech

The Queen delivered a speech centred on Britain's plans to leave the EU in the next two years

The Facebook page about their 4pm protest states: 'Let's build the fight for a Corbyn-led Labour Government based on his radical anti-austerity manifesto.'

Stand Up To Racism, which doesn't start until 6pm, are against the Conservatives and DUP parties working together.

The Facebook page for that protests insists Theresa was 'profoundly rejected at the polls' and its followers plan to 'send a clear message that we did not vote for this toxic agenda'.