3,000 police on alert as climate rebels plot million-strong march
UP TO 3,000 police officers will be deployed in London over the bank holiday weekend amid fears of public disorder.
The move comes after Extinction Rebellion (XR) revealed plans for a ‘civilly disobedient long weekend’ and urged its supporters to join a Black Lives Matter march from Notting Hill to Hyde Park. The demonstration, dubbed the ‘Million People March’, is calling for the defunding of the police.
The Mail on Sunday has obtained details of Scotland Yard’s plan to deal with the event, including the number of officers to be deployed. It includes more than 60 police support units – with 25 officers in each – as well as eight armed response teams and 46 officers dedicated to ‘firearms intervention tactics’.
In addition to the use of drones and metal-detecting ‘knife arches’, the Metropolitan Police will also t ask 30 officers with cl osing premises holding unlicensed events and four ‘property removal teams’ to get rid of sound systems and barricades. Concern is growing after Government scientific advisers warned the police face a high risk of civil disorder this summer – possibly on a greater scale than the 2011 London riots.
The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) in July recommended the military should be on standby as police were illequipped to cope with the multiple threats posed by climate change rallies, the cancellation of the Notting Hill Carnival, illegal raves and clashes between Black Lives Matter protesters and far-right thugs.
XR has urged its local chapters to cause ‘high-impact disruption’ over the weekend before it starts a nationwide ‘rebellion’ on September 1. The eco-activist organisation has signalled its intention to blockade Parliament Square as MPs return from the summer recess, while affiliated groups will descend on Manchester and Cardiff.
It aims to win attention and support for its Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill which it published earlier this month. The Bill, drafted with the help of scientists and academics, calls for a ‘citizens’ assembly on climate change’ and a clear plan to stem rising global temperatures. In an online post the group said: ‘We will disrupt the entrances to Parliament and stop MPs from continuing to pass policy that’s killing us until they agree to set up a National Citizens’ Assembly with real influence in Westminster.’
It has also set up an ‘online rebellion academy’ for those who cannot be at the protest in person. Courses include interactive games on ‘how to witness an arrest’ where pupils are advised not to write down the name of a protester in case it helps police place them at the scene.
Last night, a Met spokesman said: ‘Ahead of the August bank holiday weekend, the Metropolitan Police Service has been developing a comprehensive policing plan for events across the city. The policing plan will be proportionate and will be able to flex depending on the information and intelligence available.’
A spokesman for XR said: ‘This is probably the last, best chance we have to mitigate the worst of the climate and ecological emergency, but instead the Government is investing pennies in green solutions and bailing out carbon intensive industries such as airlines and car manufacturers.’