This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk/7955057.stm
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Police warn of G20 protest scale | Police warn of G20 protest scale |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Known activists are planning in an "unprecedented" way ahead of next month's G20 summit in London, the Metropolitan Police have warned. | Known activists are planning in an "unprecedented" way ahead of next month's G20 summit in London, the Metropolitan Police have warned. |
| Cdr Bob Broadhurst, in charge of the policing operation, said anarchists and environmentalists were plotting a series of demonstrations. | Cdr Bob Broadhurst, in charge of the policing operation, said anarchists and environmentalists were plotting a series of demonstrations. |
| Groups active in the late 1990s were re-emerging and forming new alliances to protest at the meeting, he said. | Groups active in the late 1990s were re-emerging and forming new alliances to protest at the meeting, he said. |
| The operation will involve thousands of officers and cost an estimated £7.2m. | The operation will involve thousands of officers and cost an estimated £7.2m. |
| World leaders, including US President Barack Obama, will begin to arrive in the UK on 31 March. | World leaders, including US President Barack Obama, will begin to arrive in the UK on 31 March. |
| The next day campaigners are expected to target the City of London in a series of anti-globalisation and climate change demonstrations. | The next day campaigners are expected to target the City of London in a series of anti-globalisation and climate change demonstrations. |
| As the G20 summit begins on 2 April, protests are also planned at the Excel conference centre in Docklands. | |
| Numbers challenge | Numbers challenge |
| Cdr Broadhurst said officers from six forces would be involved in a massive security operation before and during the summit. | Cdr Broadhurst said officers from six forces would be involved in a massive security operation before and during the summit. |
| However, it was difficult to estimate how many protesters would actually turn up on the main day of activity on 1 April. | However, it was difficult to estimate how many protesters would actually turn up on the main day of activity on 1 April. |
| "Clearly there are some very innovative and clever people and they know our tactics," Cdr Broadhurst said. "They want to stop the City on the Wednesday - that is their avowed intention." | "Clearly there are some very innovative and clever people and they know our tactics," Cdr Broadhurst said. "They want to stop the City on the Wednesday - that is their avowed intention." |
| Anarchists by definition won't come and see us Cdr Bob Broadhurst | Anarchists by definition won't come and see us Cdr Bob Broadhurst |
| He said it was his aim to "facilitate lawful protest" and he revealed plans for a special demonstration pen near the Excel Centre to accommodate a few hundred protesters. | He said it was his aim to "facilitate lawful protest" and he revealed plans for a special demonstration pen near the Excel Centre to accommodate a few hundred protesters. |
| But while police had worked closely with some campaigners, the plans of other groups were harder to ascertain. | But while police had worked closely with some campaigners, the plans of other groups were harder to ascertain. |
| "Anarchists by definition won't come and see us," he said. | "Anarchists by definition won't come and see us," he said. |
| 'Unhappy bedfellows' | 'Unhappy bedfellows' |
| He said there was no intelligence to suggest there was a terrorist attack planned, but there was evidence that groups not seen since the 1990s, such as direct action exponents Reclaim the Streets and the Wombles, were re-forming and planning activity. | |
| Students were also involved in larger numbers than before, he said, and there was some evidence that foreign activists were heading to the UK to take part in the protests. | Students were also involved in larger numbers than before, he said, and there was some evidence that foreign activists were heading to the UK to take part in the protests. |
| Police are expecting activists to block streets and hold demonstrations heading in several directions at once. | |
| "Hitting us at the same time for a day, that is the stretch, that is causing the issues, rather than protecting people, which is our core business," said Cdr Broadhurst. | |
| He added: "There will be times when protest comes up against security and they are not always happy bedfellows." | He added: "There will be times when protest comes up against security and they are not always happy bedfellows." |
| Cdr Broadhurst said police were facing a particular challenge during the G20 because it falls in the same week as a state visit from the president of Mexico, the England football team's games against Slovakia and Ukraine at Wembley and the Boat Race. | |
| Met Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson admitted policing the summit and protecting the 20 world leaders and 40 delegations was a "huge challenge". |