LONDON—As August Bank Holiday approaches, police and the public will have to be on their toes to calmly negotiate the huge influx of people and flamboyant activity expected over wide parts of the capital.
With the Notting Hill Carnival on the bank holiday long-weekend preceded by the “Camp for Climate Action ‘09” running from August 26 to September 2, the London Metropolitan Police force will have their smiles stretched for miles as they borrow around 200 extra officers from other UK forces.
Despite many central London events, including the 73 day Tamil protest which ended in June, having tested the Met’s mettle and shown it to be in good order, the large attendance and deliberate anarchic approach of many progressive protests like the Climate Camp will push many police buttons.
On their website, the Camp organisers say, “With the city lights in sight, you pitch your tent alongside thousands of others.” But the location is a secret to be revealed by “mass text” on August 26 when participants are to take part in a “swoop” on the capital.
Assistant Commissioner Chris Allison who is in charge of the police Central Operations said, “All we know is that it’s going to be somewhere within the M25. That’s all they’ve told us at the moment. They are saying in their literature something in the region of 3,000 people potentially.
“The people we’re liaising with can’t actually tell us, because they themselves don’t know - it’s a different group within Climate Camp that are making the decisions around where the Camp’s going to go to.”
In an open letter to the police published on the Camp website, the organisers explain their secrecy: “There’s a simple reason for this: I’m afraid we just don’t trust the police. Why? Because it seems as though every time we have a protest, the police turn up and start hitting people. Look what happened at the G20. That’s not really a very good way to win people over.”
The aim of the Camp is to promote action on climate change.
One the Camp organisers said in a video, “You’re always feeling you’re saying ‘don’t do this don’t do that, we don’t agree with this or that.’ So it’s really nice to give the opportunity to take practical involvement with sustainable sources – understanding things like compost loos. There’s practical things that you can potentially take out into your life.”
Another said, “The camp in itself showcases different types of energy production. Things like wind turbines, solar panels, grey water systems, compost toilets - stuff like that.”
Aside from the Camp, Commissioner Allison said the biggest event for the Metropolitan Police Service is the Notting Hill Carnival. “Something in the region of 11,000 officer shifts are required.”
The carnival is the biggest street festival in Europe. Over 1 million revellers are expected to join in the party atmosphere over the Bank Holiday weekend. The main parade takes place on Monday, which is likely to be the busiest day. For travel and safety advice see www.thenottinghillcarnival.com
With the Notting Hill Carnival on the bank holiday long-weekend preceded by the “Camp for Climate Action ‘09” running from August 26 to September 2, the London Metropolitan Police force will have their smiles stretched for miles as they borrow around 200 extra officers from other UK forces.
Despite many central London events, including the 73 day Tamil protest which ended in June, having tested the Met’s mettle and shown it to be in good order, the large attendance and deliberate anarchic approach of many progressive protests like the Climate Camp will push many police buttons.
On their website, the Camp organisers say, “With the city lights in sight, you pitch your tent alongside thousands of others.” But the location is a secret to be revealed by “mass text” on August 26 when participants are to take part in a “swoop” on the capital.
Assistant Commissioner Chris Allison who is in charge of the police Central Operations said, “All we know is that it’s going to be somewhere within the M25. That’s all they’ve told us at the moment. They are saying in their literature something in the region of 3,000 people potentially.
“The people we’re liaising with can’t actually tell us, because they themselves don’t know - it’s a different group within Climate Camp that are making the decisions around where the Camp’s going to go to.”
In an open letter to the police published on the Camp website, the organisers explain their secrecy: “There’s a simple reason for this: I’m afraid we just don’t trust the police. Why? Because it seems as though every time we have a protest, the police turn up and start hitting people. Look what happened at the G20. That’s not really a very good way to win people over.”
The aim of the Camp is to promote action on climate change.
One the Camp organisers said in a video, “You’re always feeling you’re saying ‘don’t do this don’t do that, we don’t agree with this or that.’ So it’s really nice to give the opportunity to take practical involvement with sustainable sources – understanding things like compost loos. There’s practical things that you can potentially take out into your life.”
Another said, “The camp in itself showcases different types of energy production. Things like wind turbines, solar panels, grey water systems, compost toilets - stuff like that.”
Aside from the Camp, Commissioner Allison said the biggest event for the Metropolitan Police Service is the Notting Hill Carnival. “Something in the region of 11,000 officer shifts are required.”
The carnival is the biggest street festival in Europe. Over 1 million revellers are expected to join in the party atmosphere over the Bank Holiday weekend. The main parade takes place on Monday, which is likely to be the busiest day. For travel and safety advice see www.thenottinghillcarnival.com
