Live facial recognition technology (LFR) will be used at a protest for the first time this weekend, targeting a Tommy Robinson rally in central London. Scotland Yard said it was part of “unprecedented” policing measures this weekend as 50,000 people are expected to join Robinson’s Unite the Kingdom march. A separate pro-Palestinian march marking Nakba Day, commemorating the “Palestinian Catastrophe” of 1948, is expected to draw up to 30,000 people on the same day and LFR will not be used. The Metropolitan Police said it would deploy the technology for the Robinson rally on Saturday after receiving “intelligence which indicates there is likely to be a threat to public safety from some who might be in attendance”. LFR links cameras to a “watch list” containing photos of wanted suspects. Biometric data from a person’s face is extracted and compared against photos of wanted suspects. A positive match alerts officers to seek and stop individuals. James Harman, a Met deputy assistant commissioner, said the LFR technology will not be used within assembly, rally points or along the protest routes. He added: “It will be deployed in the London borough of Camden in an area likely to be used by those attending the Unite the Kingdom event.” Harman told reporters on Wednesday: “We have been clear that we would not accept march routes or rally locations that increase the risk of intimidation to any particular community. This has been achieved on paper, but it now falls to us to deploy very significant resources … to keep groups with opposing views apart and keep everybody safe.” Chris Philp MP, the shadow home secretary, told The Times: “LFR is a powerful tool for catching wanted criminals. It should only be used for this purpose and in all relevant settings. “In previous years, Nakba Day