Top cops left frustrated by Extinction Rebellion’s plans for two-week-long demonstrations

Top cops have been left frustrated by the environmental campaign group Extinction Rebellion’s plans for a two-week-long protest.

Demonstrations by Extinction Rebellion, known as XR, has been advertised to take place across the capital between Sunday, August 22 and September 5.

XR have indicated they intend to focus on areas within the City of London.

The Metropolitan Police have said that due to the time frame of XR’s activity, and experience of policing the previous occupations, the scale and complexity of resources needed to respond will stretch across all areas of the Met.

Matt Twist, Deputy Assistant Commissioner, said: “It is clear to us, from reading and listening to their public announcements that Extinction Rebellion’s intention is to once again cause significant disruption to London and to London’s communities through acts of civil disobedience.

“There have been three previous extended periods of demonstrations by Extinction Rebellion in London.

“People going about their normal business saw bus routes being diverted or cancelled, significant roads closures, tubes and DLR routes being disrupted by spontaneous demonstrations, and the abstraction of hundreds, if not thousands of officers from their normal duties.

“Like everyone else, Extinction Rebellion have the right to assemble and the right to protest. However these rights are qualified and are to be balanced against the rights of others.

“They do not have the right to cause serious disruption to London’s communities and prevent them going about their lawful business.

“Undoubtedly, an operation on this scale will impact our policing in communities across the Capital.

“Every police officer committed to a large demonstration is a police officer abstracted away from their local borough and community.

“Each painstaking hour spent dealing with a protester who has committed criminal damage, glued or locked onto a road or business, is time spent away from the people of London, in the parts of London who need us most, dealing with knife crime, domestic abuse, violence.

“I want our police officers to be serving Londoner’s, fighting crime as well as bearing down on our number one priority, violence. It is frustrating that activity by Extinction Rebellion will hinder those efforts.”

Specialist policing teams will also be on standby to “respond to and manage protesters in a safe manner” who have built, or locked themselves onto complicated structures.

Chief Superintendent Rob Atkin, City of London Police, said: “Like our colleagues in the Metropolitan Police, we will also be out in greater numbers to balance the right to protest with any disruption and distress people who live, work and visit the City may experience over the coming fortnight.

“There is a policing plan in place and we will respond appropriately and proportionately to protest activity”

Photograph credit Lottie Kilraine