This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/shortcuts/2012/may/30/security-threat-jubilee-celebrations
The article has changed 9 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Aaron Barschak: Am I a security threat to the jubilee celebrations? | Aaron Barschak: Am I a security threat to the jubilee celebrations? |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| I was sitting at home yesterday when I finally decided to make the call. I wasn't going to spend the jubilee under house arrest. "Ahh, yes, hello, pleased to meet you," said the woman from New Scotland Yard when I introduced myself. "We were just talking about you." | I was sitting at home yesterday when I finally decided to make the call. I wasn't going to spend the jubilee under house arrest. "Ahh, yes, hello, pleased to meet you," said the woman from New Scotland Yard when I introduced myself. "We were just talking about you." |
| How nice. In a world of 15 minutes of fame where the mediacracy quickly forget, there are still people who remember me. Last year, from 6pm until 1.30pm the next day, I spent the royal wedding imprisoned at home. A detective chief superintendent had called me on the eve of Kate and Will's nuptials to let me know that there was concern I had plans to scupper their special day. Granted, I do have "form", having gatecrashed Prince William's 21st birthday party in 2003 as Bin Laden in drag. | How nice. In a world of 15 minutes of fame where the mediacracy quickly forget, there are still people who remember me. Last year, from 6pm until 1.30pm the next day, I spent the royal wedding imprisoned at home. A detective chief superintendent had called me on the eve of Kate and Will's nuptials to let me know that there was concern I had plans to scupper their special day. Granted, I do have "form", having gatecrashed Prince William's 21st birthday party in 2003 as Bin Laden in drag. |
| I was asked to present myself at a police station. I refused, because I had been locked up for 36 hours during Charles and Camilla's wedding. But I gave assurances that I had no intention of recreating the final scenes of The Graduate at Westminster Abbey. While a 21st birthday is a laugh, a wedding should be the bride's day and no one should upstage her. (It seems Pippa took on that role. Ah well, hindsight is a wonderful thing.) Plus I had nothing to wear. | I was asked to present myself at a police station. I refused, because I had been locked up for 36 hours during Charles and Camilla's wedding. But I gave assurances that I had no intention of recreating the final scenes of The Graduate at Westminster Abbey. While a 21st birthday is a laugh, a wedding should be the bride's day and no one should upstage her. (It seems Pippa took on that role. Ah well, hindsight is a wonderful thing.) Plus I had nothing to wear. |
| I asked if they wanted to tag me, to which came the question: "Mmm, how would we do that?" "I don't know," I said. "You're the policeman, you should know." We worked out a system where I would be phoned once every three hours, and I suppose, that way, they could triangulate where I was, i.e. nowhere near the Abbey. I wasn't allowed to go outside until the happy couple had kissed on the balcony under the fly-past. Could I nip to the off-licence? I was told to be quick - my safety couldn't be guaranteed. So farcical did it all seem that I asked my opposite number if we should have a password for the operation. "If you like," came the response. "OK," I said. "Let's make it the Queen's Gynaecologist." "Alright," he replied. | I asked if they wanted to tag me, to which came the question: "Mmm, how would we do that?" "I don't know," I said. "You're the policeman, you should know." We worked out a system where I would be phoned once every three hours, and I suppose, that way, they could triangulate where I was, i.e. nowhere near the Abbey. I wasn't allowed to go outside until the happy couple had kissed on the balcony under the fly-past. Could I nip to the off-licence? I was told to be quick - my safety couldn't be guaranteed. So farcical did it all seem that I asked my opposite number if we should have a password for the operation. "If you like," came the response. "OK," I said. "Let's make it the Queen's Gynaecologist." "Alright," he replied. |
| I watched the wedding, drunk, from my flat. I gave them the best of presents; my absence. | I watched the wedding, drunk, from my flat. I gave them the best of presents; my absence. |
| After the kiss I was phoned, thanked profusely for my conduct and invited to the Yard for a coffee. I decided to take pre-emptive action this time. | After the kiss I was phoned, thanked profusely for my conduct and invited to the Yard for a coffee. I decided to take pre-emptive action this time. |
| I first assured the officer that I had no intention of doing anything except watching the football, pageantry and drinking beer. I was asked if I knew where I would be for the next five days – I said that I didn't know where I'd be in the next five hours, but I had been invited to a party by the river on Sunday, and I was intending to go. That was okayed, even though I'll be within swimming distance of the 1,000-strong boat pageant on the Thames. I asked if they have a list of malcontents. "No, of course not," came the dismissive reply. | I first assured the officer that I had no intention of doing anything except watching the football, pageantry and drinking beer. I was asked if I knew where I would be for the next five days – I said that I didn't know where I'd be in the next five hours, but I had been invited to a party by the river on Sunday, and I was intending to go. That was okayed, even though I'll be within swimming distance of the 1,000-strong boat pageant on the Thames. I asked if they have a list of malcontents. "No, of course not," came the dismissive reply. |
| It was decided that once again we would use the phone method and a certain amount of trust was established, too seldom between the police and public these days, though the Met immediately rang the Guardian to check that I was writing for them. After all, I could just be collating this information to aid my plan of dressing up as Jenny Bond and creating an embarrassing scene (not actually true). | It was decided that once again we would use the phone method and a certain amount of trust was established, too seldom between the police and public these days, though the Met immediately rang the Guardian to check that I was writing for them. After all, I could just be collating this information to aid my plan of dressing up as Jenny Bond and creating an embarrassing scene (not actually true). |
| Six thousand officers are being deployed at peak times for the Jubilee. I don't know whether they're keeping an eye on Michael Fagan, who broke into the Queen's bedroom in 1982, or Father's for Justice, but it seems that in these austere times, when the police are facing huge cuts, it would be simpler and cheaper to just invite all us undesirables. | Six thousand officers are being deployed at peak times for the Jubilee. I don't know whether they're keeping an eye on Michael Fagan, who broke into the Queen's bedroom in 1982, or Father's for Justice, but it seems that in these austere times, when the police are facing huge cuts, it would be simpler and cheaper to just invite all us undesirables. |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. | |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. Enter your email address to subscribe. |