Is a London trip safe currently?

[fourelementary]

maybe a silly question but I see the protest marches and wondered if they are planned so you can avoid them?

We have a city break at the start of December… and beginning to get a bit concerned…

YThe marches have been pretty localised and contained. I am London all the time, and it’s fine. Easy to steer clear of the marches.

There are protest marches most weekends of the year in London though not usually as large as the recent ones. You can find out the route and avoid that area if you are worried. You probably won't even notice unless you are around the route.

Absolutely fine, there’s always protests about all kinds of things you can easily avoid them.

There are protest marches all the time in London.
Very easily avoidable, even in Westminster.

Even if you come across one they are generally harmless but if you are bothered just get the tube/bus to somewhere else.

London is safe. Most protest marches are peaceful anyway. As PP said, if they look unsettled, just get on a bus or tube to a protest free area. if you need to steer clear of Central London, you should be safe in Greenwich, Hampstead, Docklands, Olympic Park and they are all interesting areas to explore with museums, parks, cafes, restaurants, shops and pretty places to walk.

December might be Ok, for info though some people are expressing concerns about the weekend of 11th and 12th Nov......

https://twitter.com/metpoliceuk/status/1720133140608414070

I had a very sarcastic answer to this. Then remembered a lovely Israeli woman who gave me a lift once. She had gone to London to have a break from bombs in Israel. Then the IRA set off a bomb in London. Compared to this, is London safe? Probably.

If you can see you are heading towards a demo, go elsewhere. Bombs are harder to avoid.

You’ll be fine. I’ve lived here for 30+ years and never once been caught up in a demo etc that I don’t want to. Any demos will be very very localised and with a police presence. You’ll have fun!

There’s always demonstrations but they’re generally well policed and easy to avoid. I’ve lived here most of my life and my only experience of any is being stuck in traffic for ages in a taxi because whatever march it was (can’t actually remember) had shut some roads. But jumped out and took the tube instead, no big deal.

You’ll have a great time, the Christmas displays and lights in London are magical so December is a fantastic time for a visit. Don’t cancel!

If you can see you are heading towards a demo, go elsewhere. Bombs are harder to avoid

In this event, ask a policeman (always around when there's a demo). They have info on the route and where you can avoid it.

Got kind of ‘stuck’ in the middle of a protest in Brum they other weekend, well policed and actually very calm and non threatening, lots of women and kids in pushchairs marching as well. I would say fine to go to London

They are pretty safe marches with lots of families attending and not what the media and cruella bravermen makes it out to be. But, I would avoid it just for how busy it can be just how I avoid the carnival. Search where it's going to take place and avoid the transport route.

Of course it is! I'll be there very soon - no issues. Comparatively, London is one of the safest cities in the world.

And more than big enough to avoid things you don't want to be caught up in.

🙄 ffs we seem to get this question weekly at the moment.

Yes. It’s London, not Gaza. Get a bloody grip.

This. You know millions of people live here safely. You're higher risk driving your car around your provincial hometown.

Yep. I work between Soho and the City and haven't seen anything on the days I've been in the office.

I'm heading in to the west end tomorrow for a mooch and a nice lunch.

I'm convinced that people don't realise the sheer size of what 'London' covers. It's bigger than some countries.

I'm down there once a week, the only annoyance is people getting the way when I'm trying to get to work (I hate the Tube so walk everywhere). Not nearly as irritating as the Changing of the Guard, which blocks off roads and has horses shitting all over the place. Fun to watch if you're a tourist, a pain in the arse if you're not.

I'm worried about this too. Got a trip booked for the 11th and seriously considering cancelling

Nine million of us live, work and travel safely in London and there isn't a mass exodus out of fear. What are you expecting to happen to you that hasn't happened to millions of us?

As someone said, it's not Gaza.

There are always protests in london and they can always be avoided

I was there as a tourist on Tuesday and Wednesday. Didn't see any protests. Never once felt uneasy. Tube was easy to manage. Saw some amazing sights.

Was very busy around Westminster (Downing street, Cenotaph, Abbey etc) but never once felt in danger.

If you are going on the 11th, I wouldn't be going to Whitehall anyway as it will be full of Remembrance parade.

So if you weren't going there, what is the problem?

We went up for the football on Saturday and had to get the tube from Embankment Station. There was obviously a protest march (which we didn't know about) and a lot of people were congregating down Villiers Street and at the station itself. We walked straight into it. Absolutely no problems, although I had one or two 'pointed' comments as I was wearing my NY baseball cap. All well organised going in and out of the tube station and it all seemed reasonably good natured. We weren't concerned at all.

As previously posters have said, there is always a protest about something going on, and these things are easy to avoid. London is fine, go and enjoy it.