Police arrest 53 after attempts to break into Wembley

Police have made 53 arrests after people without tickets tried to break into Wembley for the Champions League final.

Of the arrests made, five were for pitch invasion with the rest for attempts to breach security.

Policing the final was part of a major operation for the Met on Saturday with more than 2,000 officers on duty.

Earlier in the day, thousands of people attended a protest organised by the far-right activist Tommy Robinson as well as a counter-demo. Police said 11 people were arrested or detained.

After the Wembley final, which Real Madrid won 2-0 against the German side Borussia Dortmund, a spokesperson for the Met said they were “confident the overwhelming majority” of attempts to enter the stadium were unsuccessful.

“Videos shared online showing groups running into entrances do not necessarily represent successful attempts to enter the stadium,” the spokesperson said.

“There are typically multiple further levels of security beyond an initial entrance.”

Saturday’s game had only just kicked off when play was disrupted, with pitch invaders approaching some of the players.

The Met spokesperson added: “Major sporting events often attract attempts by those without tickets to bypass perimeter fencing or otherwise gain entry. There is a robust policing operation in place to support the Wembley security plan and officers have worked closely with stewards and stadium staff to maintain security throughout.”

Earlier on Saturday, thousands of people attended the march and rally organized by Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley Lennon. According to police they included groups from across the UK linked to football disorder.

The rally led by set off from Victoria at around 13:00 BST and ended in Parliament Square just after 18:00 where Robinson, Reclaim leader Laurence Fox and others gave speeches and a film was shown.

On X, formerly Twitter, the Met said it was aware “a number of groups” had gathered in “pubs nearby and elsewhere in central London”, including people known to them for football violence.

The force later posted to say two people were arrested “in the vicinity of Parliament Square”, including one person who was arrested “for drunk and disorderly and assaulting an emergency worker”.

Around 300 people attended a static counter-protest in Whitehall organised by Stand Up To Racism. There, crowds gathered to hear from speakers such as Zak Cochrane.

The Met said officers were deployed “in significant numbers” to ensure those in Parliament Square and Whitehall did not come together.

A third smaller demo unrelated to the other two also took place in central London.

Youth Demand said it wanted to take direct action to protest against the ongoing conflict in Gaza and said in public statements its members were intending to occupy roads and bridges.

The Met posted on X that protesters “went onto York Road, attempting to cause serious disruption by blocking traffic” despite being “subject to conditions not to leave the pavement”.

The force later posted that nine people had been detained for “breaching Public Order Act conditions not to leave the pavement”, adding “the remainder of the group has largely dispersed”.

Meanwhile, officers tried to curb a planned demo against the conflict in Gaza in the Finchley area by imposing restrictions under the Public Order Act.

The Met said if protesters do gather they will be restricted to a static demonstration to take place at a location away from sites that may cause fear and concern to Jewish residents, but that is still of importance to the protest organizers.

“There is a significant difference between a protest that takes place in central London on a Saturday away from residential areas and a protest that seeks to walk right through an area with a significant Jewish community. It is right that our policing response takes this into account,” Cdr Louise Puddefoot said.

A four-day family football festival is also continuing in parts of the capital throughout the weekend.

It has been taking place at several sites in central London, including Trafalgar Square, Regent Street, Somerset House, the South Bank, and Potters Field Park, with road closures in place as well as changes to some bus routes and Cycleways.

It is due to finish on Sunday evening.

Earlier, there was some disruption on public transport due to the Champions League final, with part-closures and severe delays adding to congestion.

Amid the multiple events taking place in London were rehearsals for Trooping the Colour on 15 June, for the King’s official birthday.

Meanwhile, engineering work over the weekend means there are no direct train services between central London and Luton Airport, as well as no Elizabeth Line services between Paddington and Abbey Wood, and between Whitechapel and Stratford on Saturday.

TfL said people should check their journey on its website for updates before they travel.