Metropolitan Police arrested 140 people on the first day of Notting Hill Carnival, with 13 detained through controversial facial recognition technology that the equalities watchdog warned was “unlawful” just days before the event.
The arrests on Sunday represented a 40 per cent increase compared to the same day last year, as Europe’s largest street festival saw unprecedented security measures including live facial recognition cameras deployed for the first time.
Despite warnings from the Equality and Human Rights Commission that the technology breached human rights laws, officers used the scanning systems to identify suspects on approaches to the carnival, leading to more than a dozen arrests.
Record Arrests Amid Million-Strong Crowds
As an estimated one million revellers descended on west London for the Children’s Day Parade, police confirmed 140 total arrests by 7.45pm on Sunday evening.
105 arrests took place at Carnival itself, while 35 took place on the approaches to Carnival as a result of proactive policing interventions,” a Met Police spokesman stated.
“Of those 35 arrests on the approaches, 13 followed positive identifications using live facial recognition.”
The technology, which scans faces against a watchlist of wanted individuals, marks a significant escalation in surveillance at the 58-year-old celebration of Caribbean culture.
Weapons and Violence Mar First Day
Of particular concern were 21 arrests for possession of offensive weapons and 15 assaults on police officers, with one officer requiring hospital treatment for hand injuries.
The breakdown of arrests revealed:
- Assault on police – 15
- Possession of an offensive weapon – 21
- Possession of cannabis – 25
- Possession of class A drugs – 6
- Possession of other drugs – 2
- Possession with intent to supply drugs – 19
- Robbery – 2
- Public order – 4
- Sexual offences – 4
- Other – 42
The weapons arrests come after 10 stabbings at last year’s carnival, including two murders that shocked the capital.
‘Unlawful’ Technology Deployed Despite Warnings
The use of facial recognition technology proceeded despite the Equality and Human Rights Commission declaring just days earlier that the Met’s policy was “unlawful” and incompatible with human rights laws.
The EHRC warned the technology breached Articles 8 (right to privacy), 10 (freedom of expression), and 11 (freedom of assembly and association) of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Live facial recognition surveillance turns our faces into barcodes and makes us a nation of suspects,” said Rebecca Vincent, interim director of Big Brother Watch.
The watchdog specifically highlighted concerns that the technology could have a “chilling effect” on individuals’ rights when used at protests and mass gatherings.
Racial Bias Concerns at Caribbean Festival
The deployment of facial recognition at Britain’s largest celebration of Afro-Caribbean culture sparked particular controversy given evidence of racial bias in the technology.
EHRC data shows “the number of black men triggering an ‘alert’ is higher than would be expected proportionally, when compared to the population of London.”
The decision to use the technology at Notting Hill Carnival, where the vast majority of attendees are from ethnic minority backgrounds, raised questions about discriminatory policing.
Pre-Emptive Arrests and Arsenal Seizure
The Sunday arrests followed an extraordinary pre-carnival operation that saw 100 people arrested in “intelligence-led interventions” before the event began.
Police seized 11 firearms and more than 40 knives, with 21 people recalled to prison and 266 individuals banned from attending through bail or probation conditions.
Commander Charmain Brenyah defended the aggressive approach: “Our policing plan makes tackling serious violence a priority, which is why we’ve carried out intelligence-led interventions against those groups and individuals who we have reason to believe pose the greatest risk.
Met Defends Technology Despite Legal Challenge
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley insisted the technology would be used without bias, with the force maintaining its deployment was “both lawful and proportionate, playing a key role in keeping Londoners safe.
A Met spokeswoman pointed to Court of Appeal confirmation that police can use facial recognition under common law powers, adding: “We have strong safeguards in place, with biometric data automatically deleted unless there is a match.
The force claimed independent research from the National Physical Laboratory had helped configure the technology “in a way that avoids discrimination.”
Unprecedented Security Operation
Around 7,000 police officers were deployed across the capital for Sunday’s festivities, with similar numbers expected for Monday’s adult parade.
Additional powers were authorised including Section 60 stop and search without reasonable suspicion and Section 60AA powers to require removal of face coverings.
Officers also deployed screening arches at entry points to detect weapons, alongside a network of CCTV cameras monitoring the event.
Legal Challenge Continues
The controversy comes as privacy campaigners Big Brother Watch and anti-knife crime worker Shaun Thompson pursue a judicial review of the Met’s facial recognition policy.
Thompson was “grossly mistreated” after being wrongly identified as a criminal by the technology last year, highlighting risks of misidentification.
The EHRC has been granted permission to intervene in the case, which campaigners call a “landmark legal challenge” to the unregulated spread of surveillance technology.
Historic Violence Shadows Celebration
Sunday’s heavy-handed policing approach reflects the carnival’s recent history of serious violence that has overshadowed its cultural significance.
Last year saw eight stabbings and 334 arrests, including the murder of chef Mussie Imnetu and mother Cher Maximen, who died protecting her three-year-old daughter from a knife attack.
In 2024 alone, there were two murders, seven non-fatal stabbings, 72 arrests for offensive weapons, and 53 assaults on emergency workers.
Government Backs Expansion Despite Concerns
The deployment comes as Home Secretary Yvette Cooper defended plans to expand facial recognition nationwide to catch “high-harm” offenders.
The Home Office has doubled the number of facial recognition vans to ten, extending deployments across seven police forces beyond London.
Critics warn that without specific legislation regulating the technology, its use relies solely on common law powers deemed insufficient by privacy advocates.
Carnival Continues Amid Tensions
Despite the security concerns, hundreds of thousands peacefully enjoyed Sunday’s Children’s Day Parade, with dancers in bright costumes filling the streets to Caribbean music.
Festival chairman Ian Comfort expressed relief the carnival was happening after funding challenges earlier this year threatened its future.
The adult parade on Monday is expected to draw even larger crowds, with temperatures forecast to reach 28C as an estimated two million people attend over the bank holiday weekend.
The use of facial recognition at Notting Hill Carnival represents a watershed moment in British policing, as authorities deploy controversial surveillance technology despite legal warnings and community concerns about discriminatory targeting.
Follow for more updates on Britannia Daily
