Protesters have broken down barriers at the entrance to the Cenotaph and started having pitched battles with the police, who then formed a physical barrier to separate them. 

The group shouted “you’re a disgrace” and “you’re not English anymore” at police, also adding “we want our country back”.

Calvin Robinson, the former GB news presenter, was among the crowd, wearing a reverend’s collar and a bowler hat. 

One woman told him he was “a beacon of hope”, while another man said “I’m sorry about what happened to you”, referring to his dismissal from GB News last month. 

Tommy Robinson, a convicted criminal and former leader of the English Defence League, was also spotted heading towards the Cenotaph.