Met defends ‘huge’ response to oligarch mansion protest
FOLLOWING PUBLIC BACKLASH, POLICE INSIST REACTION WOULD HAVE BEEN THE SAME ‘ANYWHERE IN LONDON’
MET Police were in attendance last Monday (March 14) at a standoff between officers and protesters as squatters occupied a Russian Oligarch’s £50 million mansion at 5 Belgrave Square.
The squatters had intended to occupy the mansion for the purposes of protest against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and they did not plan to sleep and live at the property.
Officers were present at the property throughout the afternoon until the protesters came down from the building and four people were arrested at around 8pm on Monday, March 14.
The property is believed to be owned by Oleg Deipaska, a war supporter who is also one of the oligarchs sanctioned by the UK government.
Met Police released a short statement about the incident on Tuesday, March 15.
They said: “Officers were initially called to reports of people breaking into a house just after 1am. This led to an immediate response and would do so anywhere in London.
“Once at the property officers were told the intrusion was for the purposes of a protest. However, squatting in a residential property is a criminal offence.
“In addition, officers faced difficult decisions as they had not independently verified what was taking place inside the property, who was present and whether there were other risks.
“Over the following hours we deployed the resources necessary to resolve the situation swiftly but safely, both for our officers and the protestors. Those arrested remain in custody.”
The Met Police were trending on Twitter as the incident unfolded with many people criticising the ongoing police presence throughout the afternoon.
People commented that reporting a couple of people squatting at a property would not normally bring such a significant police presence.
Dozens of riot police were seen entering the property earlier, and numerous police vehicles and officers remain at the scene.
Resist London said that the squatters are using the “protest defence” to avoid arrest.
The group tweeted: “The squatters are using a version of the Section 6 notice known as the ‘protest defense’, in which they do not intend to live and sleep at the property, but are instead occupying it as a protest, on rotation.
“This is because of the 2012 law change on residential property.”