More than 4,000 officers in riot gear and armoured vehicles will police the streets of London this Saturday, with drones circling the skies to scan for suspects and live facial recognition software in use for the first time.

Scotland Yard has authorised the “highest degree of control” available to the Met, borne of fears that far-right protesters marching under the leadership of convicted criminal Tommy Robinson will clash with pro-Palestine marchers commemorating Nakba Day.

The Met’s deputy assistant commissioner James Harman said the scale of policing was “unprecedented” and that “swift and decisive” action would be taken against troublemakers.

Alongside armoured vehicles, he promised that helicopters, dog units and police horses will be deployed if necessary. For the first time, organisers will be held personally responsible for speakers conducting speeches at both events.

The £4.5m operation will also see live facial recognition software used at the far-right Unite the Kingdom rally to match those lining the streets with faces on a specific watchlist. The Home Office has also banned eleven individuals from travelling to the UK to attend the protest.

Last month, 39 MPs signed a motion asking why Robinson had been granted his preferred route and not the Nakba Day organisers, given that pro-Palestine marches have been historically peaceful and previous Unite the Kingdom marches violent.

Police have warned that at the Palestine march, anyone chanting “intifada”– meaning “resistance” in Arabic – is at risk of arrest. It comes after prime minister Keir Starmer claimed last month that the phrase targets the Jewish community and should be banned. But leftwing voices like Green party leader Zack Polanski, who is Jewish, have said banning phrases like “globalise the intifada” would overly restrict freedom of speech.

British Palestinians have called on Starmer to provide them with “equal protection” from violence ahead of the Nakba Day march, which commemorates 78 years since the displacement of 700,000 Palestinians and the creation of the Israeli state from their land.

Earlier this week, Met police commissioner Mark Rowley falsely accused organisers of targeting synagogues. More than 32 MPs have signed a letter asking Rowley to retract his comments.

A coalition of pro-Palestine groups have filed a complaint to the London’s Mayor Office, alleging that Rowley “acted in a racially discriminatory way in inferring that protests against fundamental violations of international law by Israel and by Britain are antisemitic”.

Sophia Sheera is a journalist in Novara Media’s social media team.

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