Trump’s royal request
BRITAINDonald Trump waving from the Queen’s royal carriage is not a scenario many would have foreseen a year ago, but it has become a very real prospect, forcing security services to plan an unprecedented lockdown.
The White House has made clear it regards the carriage procession down the Mall as an essential element of the itinerary for the visit currently planned for the second week of October, according to officials.
Security sources have warned, however, that the procession will require a ‘‘monster’’ security operation, far greater than for any recent state visit.
Barack Obama chose to spare his hosts the task of securing the journey from Horse Guards Parade to Buckingham Palace when he was welcomed by the Queen in 2011. In a slight change of usual protocol President Obama arrived at the palace in an armoured motorcade.
Xi Jinping did stand on ceremony in 2015, although he took the precaution of opting for a closed, rather than open, carriage from the Royal Mews for his ride up the Mall with the Queen.
The security required by the Chinese president will be dwarfed by the operation necessitated for Trump, according to security sources.
The Metropolitan Police was already gearing up for the biggest public order operation in several years, with tens of thousands of people expected to descend on the area to protest. Senior police are already grappling with how to achieve a balance between Trump’s security and allowing the public’s right to demonstrate.
One source said that Trump’s decision to opt for the carriage, rather than the bullet and bomb-proof car that was used by his predecessor REUTERS presented a range headaches.
The source said: ‘‘The vehicle which carries the president of the United States is a spectacular vehicle. It is designed to with- of fresh stand a massive attack like a lowlevel rocket grenade. If he’s in that vehicle he is incredibly well protected and on top of that it can travel at enormous speed. If he is in a golden coach being dragged up the Mall by a couple of horses, the risk factor is dramatically increased. ‘‘There may well be protections in that coach such as bulletproof glass, but they are limited. In particularly it is very flimsy. ‘‘It would not be able to put up much resistance in the face of a rocket propelled grenade or high-powered ammunition. Armour-piercing rounds would make a very bad show of things.’’ The Met will liaise closely with the Secret Service to plan the event. Hundreds of agents will travel with Trump and they will be heavily armed. As well as hundreds of uniformed officers along the route there will also be an enormous plainclothes pres- ence.
Firearms officers will be dotted throughout the crowd and the counter-terrorism firearms unit - a band of elite officers trained to respond to marauding gun attacks and major incidents - would be close by ready to deploy in seconds. Sources said that the only way to protect the president fully would be to seal off the area, but such a scenario is out of the question because of the public’s expectation to attend such events. Instead, there will be spotters placed at every building which is within range of a sniper.
The Metropolitan Police’s fixated threat assessment centre, which monitors disturbed individuals who are obsessed with prominent figures, will make home visits to deter Trump haters and ensure that they do not pose a threat.
One Whitehall source said that the option of using Windsor was rejected on security grounds. ‘‘It looked like we’d have to close the M25.’’ The Times