Police fear a hard core of anti-capitalist demonstrators is gearing up for a "rematch" on May 1 in London, to avenge the stifling of last year's attempted protest by zero tolerance tactics that used indiscriminate corralling of protesters into a tight cordon.

The Metropolitan police commissioner, Sir John Stevens, said yesterday that up to 5,000 officers were being briefed on the potential problem, and would be available on the day if needed.

Concern at the Met has grown because of activity on radical websites encouraging supporters to come in force.


Last year, demonstrators were urged to gather at Oxford Circus for a game of May Day Monopoly. This year, a mass game of May Day football in Oxford Street is being suggested.

"They are referring to it as the rematch," said Sir John. "They felt they lost last year and want to win this year."

The Met believes, however, that demonstrators will not congregate in a single area and thereby risk being hemmed in.

"They want to weaken our resources by popping up in different parts of London," the commissioner said.

"We will do everything we need to do to make sure there is no breakdown in public order or damage to buildings."

Though the Met has been accused in the past of over-reacting to the threat, and of treating demonstrators too roughly, officers believe the reluctance of protesters to speak to them beforehand shows there is a need to be cautious.

"If they had some kind of structure, that would help us," said Sir John. "We don't really know what they are up to at this stage. We are trying to get in touch with the organisers... if they want to have a lawful demonstration, we will allow that."

He confirmed that Scotland Yard's special branch had been monitoring the internet to identify potential troublemakers.

Last year, the Met ring-fenced Oxford Circus with officers in riot gear, resulting in thousands of peaceful protesters, and some tourists, being trapped for up to six hours. With police officers and demonstators both crushed together, a tense situation became even more agitated; police claimed that the tactic had been a success, because criminal damage to property was minimised.

The civil rights group Liberty questioned whether the response was proportionate, while hundreds of demonstrators claimed they had been unlawfully detained.

This year's police operation will be orchestrated by assistant commissioner Mike Todd, who was in charge last year. He has insisted that last year's tactics were necessary to avoid the havoc of 2000, when demonstrators ran amok in Parliament Square and defaced the statue of Winston Churchill.