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The Tamil protest in Parliament Square is ending today after 73 days which saw thousands take to the streets, costing millions in policing.
It will end at 6pm when the last Tamils are due to leave the site.
It will bring to a close one of the longest large-scale protests in recent history.
The demonstration has caused massive disruption in Westminster with up to 20,000 people blockading the roads.
There have been violent scuffles and arrests as police tried to push back protesters and calls for changes in the law to force the Tamils to leave.
Several hundred protesters have been at the site every day with the numbers swelling to thousands every time there were fresh reports of civilian killings during the Sri Lankan government's offensive against the Tamil Tigers.
Police have had a 24-hour presence in Parliament Square since 6 April.
Met chief Sir Paul Stephenson revealed that after six weeks of round-the-clock policing the costs came to £7.94million - the G20 protests cost £7.2million - with £3.72million of overtime. This is the 11th week of the protest.
The organisers have now decided to end the permanent vigil outside the Houses of Parliament.
Raj Silva, of the British Tamil Students group, said it did not mean an "end to the struggle". There is a mass rally planned from Hyde Park to Embankment on Saturday.
Mr Silva said: "We will continue the struggle for freedom and human rights for the Tamil people. We're fighting to preserve our identity and culture."
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