A 28-year-old has been arrested after a man was photographed apparently urinating next to the memorial dedicated to PC Keith Palmer, the officer who was stabbed to death in the 2017 terror attack in Westminster.
The image was widely shared on social media on Saturday as violent clashes between far-right protesters and police took place in central London.
Scotland Yard said a 28-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of outraging public decency and is currently in custody in Essex after presenting himself at a police station.
Speaking on Saturday in response to the image, Commander Bas Javid said: 'We are aware of a disgusting and abhorrent image circulating on social media of a man appearing to urinate on a memorial to Pc Palmer.
'I feel for PC Palmer's family, friends and colleagues.
A man was seen urinating next to a plaque honouring PC Keith Palmer who was stabbed to death during a terrorist attack in Westminster in 2017
MP Tobias Ellwood, who rushed to help give first aid to PC Palmer after the incident, shared his disgust at the shocking image during the violent clashes in the capital today
'We have immediately launched an investigation and will gather all the evidence available to us and take appropriate action.'
Several politicians last night expressed their disgust and the Met Police Federation called for the man to be jailed after he was snapped during violent clashes between far-right protesters and police in central London yesterday.
Home Secretary Priti Patel branded the incident as 'absolutely appalling and shameful', criticising those involved for the 'shameful scenes' in Westminster Square.
PC Keith Palmer was stabbed to death while guarding the main vehicle entrance — Carriage Gates — by terrorist Khalid Masood on March 22, 2017. He was awarded a posthumous George Medal for his bravery in confronting the killer.
Among those shaming the man is MP Tobias Ellwood, who gave first aid to the police officer as he lay dying outside Westminster.
He took to Twitter to share his disgust at the shocking photograph, describing his actions as 'abhorrent'.
MP Tobias Ellwood took to Twitter to express his disgust regarding the image and told the BBC he did not believe the man did not see the memorial
Hundreds of far-right thugs and hooligans rushed up to the police blockade outside the Cenotaph
Police armed with shields and riot gear reinforce the blockade on Whitehall as louts rush up the police line
A man (pictured) believed to be a Tommy Robinson supporter, was one of two men chased by angry crowds today
Speaking to BBC News, he said the man should come forward and apologise.
When asked whether he thought the urinating man may not have noticed the memorial, Mr Ellwood said: 'I don't agree with that at all.
'This is the gates of Westminster, the most iconic symbol of democracy in the world next to a monument for Pc Keith Palmer.'
A spokesman for Metropolitan Police said: 'A 28-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of outraging public decency after a man was photographed apparently urinating on the memorial dedicated to PC Keith Palmer.
'The incident is believed to have taken place in the afternoon of Saturday, June 13. The man is currently in custody in Essex after presenting himself at a police station.'
Winston Churchill's picture has disappeared from Google's list of British prime ministers as protesters call for his statue to be torn down.
The wartime leader is the only prime minister to be left without a photo.
Clement Attlee, Neville Chamberlain and Stanley Baldwin, who all served before Churchill, are still displayed with their images.
It comes amid an escalating row over whether Churchill should be commemorated in parliament square.
Black Lives Matter figurehead Imarn Ayton, 29, who has given speeches alongside Star Wars actor John Boyega, said yesterday the monument is offensive and should be moved to a museum.
And his granddaughter Emma Soames, after seeing the statue daubed with 'was a racist', said that if people were 'so infuriated' it may be 'safer' in a museum.
Google has claimed the image disappeared due to an update, and said it would be resolved 'as rapidly as possible'.
Winston Churchill's picture has disappeared from Google's list of UK prime ministers. All other former heads of state are still pictured
Churchill's picture is also no longer displayed alongside the short description about him, that appears when his icon is clicked on. Other prime ministers images are still appearing
Churchill's image still appears on Wikipedia, even though it has disappeared from Google
The wartime leader's statue in parliament square has been covered up to protect it from further damage during protests
His image is not showing up in the UK, US, Australia, South Africa, and other countries, according to social media users.
Its absence has been slammed as 'disgraceful' and 'disgusting' online, especially as its timing coincides with anti-racism protests in the UK.
A request to Google for information on why the image has been removed read: 'The images on the search results are taken from Wikipedia, it's not clear to me why this would break in only the UK and the US.
'It's especially interesting given the current controversy around Churchill in our countries. Even more interesting is that pictures of Hitler, Stalin and Mao are shown with no issues.'
A platinum product expert for Google responded saying the image appears to be a 'default', although it is unclear why Churchill's is absent.
Google SearchLiaison said in a statement: 'We're aware an image for Sir Winston Churchill is missing from his Knowledge Graph entry on Google. We apologise for any concern. This was not purposeful and will be resolved.
'Images in such panels are automatically created and updated. During an update, they can briefly disappear.
'We don't have an exact time for when Churchill's Knowledge Graph image will be restored, but it will be as rapidly done as possible.'
Google has claimed that the image disappeared due to an update, and said they were working to bring it back 'as rapidly as possible'
Black Lives Matter activist Imam Ayton, 29, has said Churchill's statue in Westminster should be removed as it is 'offensive'
Churchill's statue in Westminster was daubed with 'was a racist' by protesters during an anti-racism march in the capital
Ms Ayton, 29, told BBC Radio 4 yesterday: 'Yes I do. I believe these statues should be moved to a museum I think it's a win win for everyone.
'It no longer offends the black nation, but we get to keep our history and keep those that would like to see that.
Asked why Churchill's statue was offensive, she said: 'Any statue of people who has spoken negatively towards black people is going to be offensive. Any man.'
Activists have daubed the words 'was a racist' on the statue during angry anti-racism demonstrations last weekend.
His granddaughter Emma Soames told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that she felt 'extraordinarily sad that my grandfather, who was such a unifying figure in this country, appears to have become a sort of icon through being controversial'.
She said if people were 'so infuriated' by seeing the statue, it may be 'safer' in a museum.
Churchill's statue in parliament square, Westminster, has been covered up for its protection
The statue is pictured covered over on Friday ahead of further anti-racism protests in London
But Churchill's grandson Nicholas Soames swiftly condemned any attempt to move it from the spot the former PM had chosen before he died in 1965.
'I will have nothing of taking statues down and putting them in museums,' he said.
Sir Nicholas told protesters to 'read your history and grow up', and said it was 'rubbish' and a 'lunatic representation' to call his grandfather racist. He told LBC: 'All his life he fought fascism.'
The Mail on Sunday has launched a petition urging Boris Johnson to make a public pledge that the monument to Britain's celebrated wartime leader will never be removed.
Churchill, who was Prime Minister twice, is considered a national hero and often leads polls on who was the greatest-ever Briton. His picture was chosen to appear on the new polymer £5 notes.
Other statues, including Nelson Mandela's, have also been covered in order to protect them
The Cenotaph war memorial has also had covers placed around it to protect it from damage
However, critics say his legacy is tarnished by controversial remarks he made about different races and his role in the Bengal famine in 1943 after Allied forces halted food supplies, leading to an estimated 3 million deaths.
Mr Johnson, who wrote a biography of Churchill in 2014, acknowledged the former PM had expressed opinions which were 'unacceptable to us today', but he remained a hero for saving Britain from 'fascist and racist tyranny'. However, Mr Johnson was coming under increasing pressure last night to promise that the statue was going nowhere, amid a chorus of support for our petition.
Police were attacked by demonstrators, some of whom were far-right activists, after thousands gathered saying they were protecting statues.
PM Boris Johnson said: "Racist thuggery has no place on our streets."
An investigation is also under way after a man was seen urinating next to a memorial of PC Keith Palmer, who was killed in the 2017 Westminster attack.
Separately on Saturday, a number of peaceful anti-racism protests were held in London and around the country.
'Abhorrent'
Home Secretary Priti Patel said the "desecration" of PC Palmer's memorial was "utterly shameful".
Met Police Commander Bas Javid added: "We are aware of a disgusting and abhorrent image circulating on social media of a man appearing to urinate on a memorial to PC Palmer.
"We have immediately launched an investigation, and will gather all the evidence available to us and take appropriate action."
MP Tobias Ellwood, who gave first aid to PC Palmer as he lay dying after being stabbed in the grounds of Parliament by Khalid Masood in 2017, said the image of the man urinating next to the memorial was "abhorrent".
He told the BBC: "He was fully aware of what he was doing, he should step forward and apologise."
Scotland Yard said they had arrested people for offences including violent disorder, assault on police, possession of an offensive weapon, breach of the peace, being drunk and disorderly and possession of Class A drugs.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted: "Racist thuggery has no place on our streets. Anyone attacking the police will be met with full force of the law.
"These marches and protests have been subverted by violence and breach current guidelines. Racism has no part in the UK and we must work together to make that a reality."
Various groups from around the country, including some far-right activists, said they had come to London to protect statues from anti-racism activists.
Hundreds of mostly white men gathered around the Cenotaph war memorial in Whitehall and the statue of Winston Churchill in Parliament Square, which was boxed up to protect it from potential damage after protesters wrote "was a racist" on it last weekend.
As large groups including right-wing protesters moved across London, there were a number of clashes with police in riot gear.
Officers were pelted with missiles, as well as being kicked and punched. Six police officers suffered minor injuries in the clashes.
A statement from the London Ambulance Service said it had treated 15 patients, including two police officers, for injuries at the protests.
"Six of these patients - all members of the public - have now been taken to hospital."
At the scene in Parliament Square
From mid-morning on Saturday, hundreds of men - most of whom were already drinking - headed into Parliament Square.
Some were members of football hooligan networks who had put aside their differences for the day. Others were from the far-right.
But despite claims that the day was about defending British heritage, it soon became violent.
Groups looked for opportunities to attack the police. Bottles and cans were thrown at their lines and horses - smoke bombs and fireworks set off. Journalists who came too close were threatened.
One bare-chested man kicked a police officer to the ground and there were repeated attempts by others to storm barriers as the police contained the trouble.
By late afternoon, some had left to find more beer - only to find their way back blocked by riot police.
Others tried to regroup on nearby streets as the police played cat and mouse - using their numbers to repeatedly contain and block attempts to take violence around the city.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said any violence against police was "completely unacceptable", adding "no ifs, no buts".
He tweeted that the protests in London were "led by those intent on causing violence and sowing hate for their own ends".
The Met Police Federation also described it as "unacceptable", tweeting that its officers "do not come to work to face this level of violence and abuse".
Some anti-racism protests also took place in London and across the UK on Saturday.
Organisers from the Black Lives Matter movement had urged people not to join any rallies planned for the weekend over fears there could be clashes with far-right groups.
Peaceful demonstrations by anti-racism protesters in support of the Black Lives Matter movement took place at Hyde Park and Marble Arch.
Police were attacked by demonstrators, some of whom were far-right activists, after thousands gathered saying they were protecting statues.
PM Boris Johnson said: "Racist thuggery has no place on our streets."
An investigation is also under way after a man was seen urinating next to a memorial of PC Keith Palmer, who was killed in the 2017 Westminster attack.
Separately on Saturday, a number of peaceful anti-racism protests were held in London and around the country.
'Abhorrent'
Home Secretary Priti Patel said the "desecration" of PC Palmer's memorial was "utterly shameful".
Met Police Commander Bas Javid added: "We are aware of a disgusting and abhorrent image circulating on social media of a man appearing to urinate on a memorial to PC Palmer.
"We have immediately launched an investigation, and will gather all the evidence available to us and take appropriate action."
MP Tobias Ellwood, who gave first aid to PC Palmer as he lay dying after being stabbed in the grounds of Parliament by Khalid Masood in 2017, said the image of the man urinating next to the memorial was "abhorrent".
He told the BBC: "He was fully aware of what he was doing, he should step forward and apologise."
Scotland Yard said they had arrested people for offences including violent disorder, assault on police, possession of an offensive weapon, breach of the peace, being drunk and disorderly and possession of Class A drugs.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted: "Racist thuggery has no place on our streets. Anyone attacking the police will be met with full force of the law.
"These marches and protests have been subverted by violence and breach current guidelines. Racism has no part in the UK and we must work together to make that a reality."
Various groups from around the country, including some far-right activists, said they had come to London to protect statues from anti-racism activists.
Hundreds of mostly white men gathered around the Cenotaph war memorial in Whitehall and the statue of Winston Churchill in Parliament Square, which was boxed up to protect it from potential damage after protesters wrote "was a racist" on it last weekend.
As large groups including right-wing protesters moved across London, there were a number of clashes with police in riot gear.
Officers were pelted with missiles, as well as being kicked and punched. Six police officers suffered minor injuries in the clashes.
A statement from the London Ambulance Service said it had treated 15 patients, including two police officers, for injuries at the protests.
"Six of these patients - all members of the public - have now been taken to hospital."
At the scene in Parliament Square
From mid-morning on Saturday, hundreds of men - most of whom were already drinking - headed into Parliament Square.
Some were members of football hooligan networks who had put aside their differences for the day. Others were from the far-right.
But despite claims that the day was about defending British heritage, it soon became violent.
Groups looked for opportunities to attack the police. Bottles and cans were thrown at their lines and horses - smoke bombs and fireworks set off. Journalists who came too close were threatened.
One bare-chested man kicked a police officer to the ground and there were repeated attempts by others to storm barriers as the police contained the trouble.
By late afternoon, some had left to find more beer - only to find their way back blocked by riot police.
Others tried to regroup on nearby streets as the police played cat and mouse - using their numbers to repeatedly contain and block attempts to take violence around the city.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said any violence against police was "completely unacceptable", adding "no ifs, no buts".
He tweeted that the protests in London were "led by those intent on causing violence and sowing hate for their own ends".
The Met Police Federation also described it as "unacceptable", tweeting that its officers "do not come to work to face this level of violence and abuse".
Some anti-racism protests also took place in London and across the UK on Saturday.
Organisers from the Black Lives Matter movement had urged people not to join any rallies planned for the weekend over fears there could be clashes with far-right groups.
Peaceful demonstrations by anti-racism protesters in support of the Black Lives Matter movement took place at Hyde Park and Marble Arch.
Joseph John was about to get into bed in the early hours of 14 June 2017. He heard noise coming from outside the second-floor apartment he shared with his partner and 14-month-old son in the Grenfell Tower.
He looked through his curtains and saw a fire engine. He then caught a bright red reflection in the window of a parked car.
"I saw the building was on fire," Joseph, 29, recalls.
He woke his partner and rushed out of the flat to seek help. Joseph's partner is disabled and he needed help in evacuating his family from the 24-storey tower. A firefighter told him to go back inside the flat and someone would assist them in getting out.
But after an hour, as flames engulfed the tower's upper floors, he and his partner realised they couldn't risk waiting any longer. Joseph passed their baby over a large gate to a stranger downstairs before carrying his partner through the window and over the gate himself.
They managed to get out just in time. Seventy-two people did not. Joseph is still struggling to process the trauma he experienced. He suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety.
A few months after the fire, Joseph heard about a new local football team that had started up. A keen player, he eventually decided to check out a training session.
Finally, he could take his mind off what had happened that night.
"I tried cooking, I tried working, I tried everything," he says. "Nothing seemed to work for me, other than football."
Joseph wasn't the only one. This is the story of a very special Sunday league team, Grenfell Athletic.
The Grenfell Tower fire in North Kensington, west London, was one of the worst disasters in British modern history. It began on the fourth floor of the tower just before 01:00 BST on 14 June. By 04:30 more than 100 flats were on fire. The blaze did not burn itself out for 24 hours.
Rupert Taylor was born and raised on the streets surrounding Grenfell and used to play on football pitches beneath the tower. He started volunteering as a youth worker in 2005 and at the time of the fire was manager of the local youth centre. Nine children from the youth centre died in the tower.
Rupert was on holiday in Gibraltar when he received a phone call in the early hours of 14 June.
"I turned on the news. My heart sunk, it was horrific," he recalls. "We didn't know who was alive."
He got the first plane back to London and got straight to work in helping people affected by the fire. "When I got back I drove in… the smell of burning was real," he says. "I was trying to get support for the residents who were wandering the streets trying to find out about their loved ones."
A few days later, Rupert noticed a young man wandering outside the youth centre looking lost. He asked the man if he was OK and if he wanted to come in and get some supplies. He politely declined but they exchanged phone numbers. The man later came into the centre and they started to talk. He told Rupert he was a resident of the tower.
"He seemed like a very lonely chap," Rupert says. "He told me that he'd lost both his parents a few years ago. A couple of weeks in, we were building a relationship and I noticed he was really struggling. I asked what helped him get through the time when he lost his parents and the first thing that came out of his mouth was 'football'.
"I said: 'Right, we're going to create a team.'"
Grenfell Athletic was born barely a month after the fire. Rupert started to put word around the local community and training sessions were set up.
Because it was so soon after the fire, he wanted it to be as open as possible. Many were still recovering mentally and physically, and he wanted residents to feel able to pop in for training sessions without fully committing to the team.
Grenfell Athletic joined the Middlesex County Football League for the 2017-18 season. The early days were turbulent.
"It was the strain of the shadow of what we were all walking out for," Rupert says. "The 72 lives that were lost. Every time we went out to the pitch, we did a minute's silence. It starts to wear you down and it's quite heavy on the soul.
"Children lost their lives. You're seeing their faces when you get out on the pitch and you say you're doing this for them. You're trying to build something greater than your bog-standard Sunday league team."
Grenfell Athletic soon started to gel and finished fifth out of 12 teams in their first season - a solid start for a new team founded under such tough circumstances.
At the end of the season, the team went on a tour of Italy where they played semi-professional Lanciano from the Italian fifth tier. The trip was an important part of the healing process for a lot of the players, many of whom hadn't properly left the area since the fire. It was, Rupert says, "a time for them to be away from the shadow of this area and the tower".
Bonded after their Italian tour, the team fully found their stride in the second season. They lost just one game and won both the league - gaining promotion - and League Cup.
After the fire, Joseph and his family had to spend the first few days living in a local church, before eventually being given a room in a hotel - where they stayed for a year. They have been in temporary housing since.
As time went on, Joseph struggled to come to terms with the night of the fire. He knew people who lost their lives. He recalls a family he would chat to and help out in the tower's lift. They didn't make it out.
"For me, it was super difficult, even now. Every day I feel like I am living back in 2017," he says.
Joseph, who moved to the UK four years ago, is from a family of footballers and grew up playing in his native Trinidad and Tobago - even representing his country at under-17 level.
The team soon helped him escape the trauma in ways he hadn't been able to before. He also started opening up to some of his team-mates about the fire.
"It helped me grow bonds with them, it helped me be open. I can discuss anything with some of my team-mates," he says. "We can chat one to one - man to man - it makes me feel comfortable.
"I don't like being around people, I don't like meeting people, I don't like being in people's space - I like to be around myself. But in football you can't have that.
"You have to be respectful, you have to be considerate to your team-mates, you have to be uplifting. It's different rules - being part of the team."
By mid-March of this year, Grenfell Athletic were joint second in the table, and then coronavirus hit.
"Right now my mental health is going down badly with no football and just staying at home," he said in April. "I can't go to my physio, I can't go to my therapist. It's hard."
Many of the team did not live in Grenfell, but the tower had been a constant in their lives.
Boxer Dan-Dan Keenan, 23, grew up in the area and started training at the Dale Youth Boxing Club inside Grenfell Tower aged 10.
Dan-Dan was outside the tower on the night of the fire, speaking to his best friend's father, Tony, on the phone. Tony was trapped on the 23rd floor and never made it out.
"I rang him when I first got there to tell him there was a fire and he said 'thanks for making me aware but I already know,'" Dan-Dan recalls. "We were watching it, so it's pretty bad."
Dan-Dan soon heard about Grenfell Athletic from local friends he grew up with playing football.
"I wanted to get involved in remembrance of Grenfell and especially in remembrance of Tony. But also, besides that, I just wanted to play football," he says.
"It means that everyone is still talking about Grenfell, which is always a good thing. Obviously we want to remember them and not just let it get swept under the carpet."
While the club is still in its infancy, everyone you speak to from Grenfell Athletic is dreaming big.
Rupert is eyeing up a plot of land in Greenford, west London, that could one day be the team's official home (they currently play around six miles away in Chiswick).
Dan-Dan says that a home ground of their own would help build the team's profile.
"I see a lot of Sunday league clubs - YouTube teams, for example - and they've got hundreds and hundreds of people watching and supporting them," he says.
"If we can get a home pitch which is local to Grenfell I'm sure people - whether they like football or not - will come and support us just because we are representing Grenfell."
Joseph agrees that a real home and top-quality coaching is needed for the team to take the next step up and bag more silverware.
But the importance of Grenfell Athletic goes far beyond titles and trophies for Joseph.
"I have no family here, I'm here on my own with my kids and my partner. Football is my family, football is my community," he says.
"They're like my brothers. Well, they are my brothers."
Police were attacked by demonstrators, some of whom were far-right activists, after thousands gathered saying they were protecting statues.
PM Boris Johnson said: "Racist thuggery has no place on our streets."
An investigation is also under way after a man was seen urinating next to a memorial of PC Keith Palmer, who was killed in the 2017 Westminster attack.
Separately on Saturday, a number of peaceful anti-racism protests were held in London and around the country.
'Abhorrent'
Home Secretary Priti Patel said the "desecration" of PC Palmer's memorial was "utterly shameful".
Met Police Commander Bas Javid added: "We are aware of a disgusting and abhorrent image circulating on social media of a man appearing to urinate on a memorial to PC Palmer.
"We have immediately launched an investigation, and will gather all the evidence available to us and take appropriate action."
MP Tobias Ellwood, who gave first aid to PC Palmer as he lay dying after being stabbed in the grounds of Parliament by Khalid Masood in 2017, said the image of the man urinating next to the memorial was "abhorrent".
He told the BBC: "He was fully aware of what he was doing, he should step forward and apologise."
Scotland Yard said they had arrested people for offences including violent disorder, assault on police, possession of an offensive weapon, breach of the peace, being drunk and disorderly and possession of Class A drugs.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted: "Racist thuggery has no place on our streets. Anyone attacking the police will be met with full force of the law.
"These marches and protests have been subverted by violence and breach current guidelines. Racism has no part in the UK and we must work together to make that a reality."
Various groups from around the country, including some far-right activists, said they had come to London to protect statues from anti-racism activists.
Hundreds of mostly white men gathered around the Cenotaph war memorial in Whitehall and the statue of Winston Churchill in Parliament Square, which was boxed up to protect it from potential damage after protesters wrote "was a racist" on it last weekend.
As large groups including right-wing protesters moved across London, there were a number of clashes with police in riot gear.
Officers were pelted with missiles, as well as being kicked and punched. Six police officers suffered minor injuries in the clashes.
A statement from the London Ambulance Service said it had treated 15 patients, including two police officers, for injuries at the protests.
"Six of these patients - all members of the public - have now been taken to hospital."
At the scene in Parliament Square
From mid-morning on Saturday, hundreds of men - most of whom were already drinking - headed into Parliament Square.
Some were members of football hooligan networks who had put aside their differences for the day. Others were from the far-right.
But despite claims that the day was about defending British heritage, it soon became violent.
Groups looked for opportunities to attack the police. Bottles and cans were thrown at their lines and horses - smoke bombs and fireworks set off. Journalists who came too close were threatened.
One bare-chested man kicked a police officer to the ground and there were repeated attempts by others to storm barriers as the police contained the trouble.
By late afternoon, some had left to find more beer - only to find their way back blocked by riot police.
Others tried to regroup on nearby streets as the police played cat and mouse - using their numbers to repeatedly contain and block attempts to take violence around the city.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said any violence against police was "completely unacceptable", adding "no ifs, no buts".
He tweeted that the protests in London were "led by those intent on causing violence and sowing hate for their own ends".
The Met Police Federation also described it as "unacceptable", tweeting that its officers "do not come to work to face this level of violence and abuse".
Some anti-racism protests also took place in London and across the UK on Saturday.
Organisers from the Black Lives Matter movement had urged people not to join any rallies planned for the weekend over fears there could be clashes with far-right groups.
Peaceful demonstrations by anti-racism protesters in support of the Black Lives Matter movement took place at Hyde Park and Marble Arch.
Police were attacked by demonstrators, some of whom were far-right activists, after thousands gathered claiming they were protecting statues.
PM Boris Johnson said: "Racist thuggery has no place on our streets."
An investigation is also under way after a man was seen urinating next to a memorial of PC Keith Palmer, who was killed in the 2017 Westminster attack.
Separately on Saturday, a number of peaceful anti-racism protests were held in London and around the country.
'Abhorrent'
Home Secretary Priti Patel said the "desecration" of PC Palmer's memorial was "utterly shameful".
Met Police Commander Bas Javid added: "We are aware of a disgusting and abhorrent image circulating on social media of a man appearing to urinate on a memorial to PC Palmer.
"We have immediately launched an investigation, and will gather all the evidence available to us and take appropriate action."
MP Tobias Ellwood, who gave first aid to PC Palmer as he lay dying after being stabbed in the grounds of Parliament by Khalid Masood in 2017, said the image of the man urinating next to the memorial was "abhorrent".
He told the BBC: "He was fully aware of what he was doing, he should step forward and apologise."
Scotland Yard said they had arrested people for offences including violent disorder, assault on police, possession of an offensive weapon, breach of the peace, being drunk and disorderly and possession of Class A drugs.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted: "Racist thuggery has no place on our streets. Anyone attacking the police will be met with full force of the law.
"These marches and protests have been subverted by violence and breach current guidelines. Racism has no part in the UK and we must work together to make that a reality."
Various groups from around the country, including some far-right activists, said they had come to London to protect statues from anti-racism activists.
Hundreds of mostly white men gathered around the Cenotaph war memorial in Whitehall and the statue of Winston Churchill in Parliament Square, which was boxed up to protect it from potential damage after protesters wrote "was a racist" on it last weekend.
As large groups including right-wing protesters moved across London, there were a number of clashes with police in riot gear.
Officers were pelted with missiles, as well as being kicked and punched. Six police officers suffered minor injuries in the clashes.
A statement from the London Ambulance Service said it had treated 15 patients, including two police officers, for injuries at the protests.
"Six of these patients - all members of the public - have now been taken to hospital."
At the scene in Parliament Square
From mid-morning on Saturday, hundreds of men - most of whom were already drinking - headed into Parliament Square.
Some were members of football hooligan networks who had put aside their differences for the day. Others were from the far-right.
But despite claims that the day was about defending British heritage, it soon became violent.
Groups looked for opportunities to attack the police. Bottles and cans were thrown at their lines and horses - smoke bombs and fireworks set off. Journalists who came too close were threatened.
One bare-chested man kicked a police officer to the ground and there were repeated attempts by others to storm barriers as the police contained the trouble.
By late afternoon, some had left to find more beer - only to find their way back blocked by riot police.
Others tried to regroup on nearby streets as the police played cat and mouse - using their numbers to repeatedly contain and block attempts to take violence around the city.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said any violence against police was "completely unacceptable", adding "no ifs, no buts".
He tweeted that the protests in London were "led by those intent on causing violence and sowing hate for their own ends".
The Met Police Federation also described it as "unacceptable", tweeting that its officers "do not come to work to face this level of violence and abuse".
Some anti-racism protests also took place in London and across the UK on Saturday.
Organisers from the Black Lives Matter movement had urged people not to join any rallies planned for the weekend over fears there could be clashes with far-right groups.
Peaceful demonstrations by anti-racism protesters in support of the Black Lives Matter movement took place at Hyde Park and Marble Arch.
