G20 in the news
g20watch | 18.03.2009 03:19 | G20 London Summit | Globalisation | Other Press | Repression | World
London police gears up for massive deployment for G20 summit
British police are gearing up for one of the biggest street security deployment for the G20 summit, which will be attended by top leaders from 22 countries, after protesters threatened to bring chaos to London. An estimated 5,000 police force will be deployed for the April 2 G20 summit, with tens of thousands of protesters preparing to descend on the capital and the Excel centre.
Police have received intelligence reports that hotels and other buildings could become the target of “guerrilla-style raids” by anti-globalisation groups and are increasing the number of close protection officers that will be stationed at each location.
All police leave has been cancelled in London for the first two days of next month – the summit is on April 2 – and thousands of uniformed officers will be on the streets to prevent legitimate protests from being hijacked by violent activists after indications that there will be the worst public disorder in a decade.
Anarchist groups and environmental activists are already collaborating on a series of demonstrations, which are being advertised with slogans such as “Storm the Banks” and “Bash a Banker”. One website urges demonstrators to “express their rage” and promises “a day of f***ing up the summit and other adventures” on April 2.
RELATED LINKS
G20 nations issue pledge to avoid protectionism
G20 'must take action to halt global slump'
MULTIMEDIA
Red Box Blog on the G20 summit
The security operation to protect politicians attending the event will be the largest seen in Britain since the G8 met at Gleneagles in July 2005. Some of Scotland Yard’s key security personnel were stranded in Scotland when the July 7 suicide bombers detonated their devices and killed 52 people on the London Underground and on a bus as the meeting took place.
The Times understands that there is no intelligence pointing to a terrorist attack to coincide with G20, but that a detailed anti-terrorist contingency plan has been drawn up.
A senior source said: “We could never rule out the idea that the G8 event might have been the inspiration for the 7/7 terrorists. There’s no intelligence of an attack now but we would be foolish if we weren’t thinking along those lines – you cannot afford to discount any possibility.”
Three police forces – the Metropolitan, City of London and British Transport Police – have joined under a single command structure to prepare for the leaders’ arrival.
Protests begin on the Saturday before the summit with a “Put People First” march in Central London. Police resources will be further stretched when the President of Mexico arrives on March 30 for a state visit that will include attendance at the summit.
The day causing senior commanders the most concern is April 1, on which activists have planned demonstrations focused on the Bank of England, calling for a “mass street party”.
The anarchist Wombles protest group says on its website: “As the bankers continue to cream off billions of pounds of our money, let’s put the call out – reclaim the money, storm the banks and send them packing.”
Plane Stupid, the group that has staged demonstrations against airport expansion, is promoting a Climate Camp in the City on the same day. BP’s centenary celebrations at the British Museum that evening may also attract protests.
The protest organisers, however, are emphasising the flexibility of their plans and have set up text message alert systems to keep their followers informed of changes in the choice of venue or tactics.
A police source said: “To some extent we’re always going to be one step behind them. It will be like dealing with flying pickets.”
Police are confident that they can protect the summit venue, the ExCeL Centre, which is bordered by railway lines and docks and is close to an airport.
The source added: “The protest groups are intent on causing as much disruption to the summit [as possible] but we think a lot of their talk is aspirational rather than achievable.”
There was severe disorder in London in 1999, when 4,000 people took part in a protest against Third World debt, and on May Day 2000 when the Cenotaph and a statue of Winston Churchill were vandalised. The following year, police thwarted a protest by trapping a large crowd of demonstrators inside a cordon.
g20watch
Comments
Hide 64 hidden comments or hide all comments
test
18.03.2009 03:40
tweet
@
18.03.2009 13:14
tweet
Deansgate
18.03.2009 13:14
tweet
@Streets
18.03.2009 13:14
tweet
Site
18.03.2009 13:15
tweet
Massive
18.03.2009 13:15
tweet
Under
18.03.2009 13:15
tweet
Riot
18.03.2009 13:15
tweet
Massive
18.03.2009 13:15
tweet
Police
18.03.2009 13:15
tweet
Riot
18.03.2009 13:15
tweet
Police
18.03.2009 13:15
tweet
INSIDE!
18.03.2009 13:16
tweet
Bowl
18.03.2009 13:16
tweet
Plain
18.03.2009 13:16
tweet
Climate
18.03.2009 13:16
tweet
3
18.03.2009 13:16
tweet
Rafts,
18.03.2009 13:16
tweet
@Streets wanna know when the next NBTF coming out
18.03.2009 13:31
tweet
2009-03-17 19:07:02 +0000
18.03.2009 13:40
@Streets wanna know when the next NBTF coming out
19
18.03.2009 14:13
@Streets wanna know when the next NBTF coming out
0
18.03.2009 14:33
@Streets wanna know when the next NBTF coming out
0
18.03.2009 14:40
@Streets wanna know when the next NBTF coming out
19:07:02
18.03.2009 14:45
@Streets wanna know when the next NBTF coming out
14:55:02
18.03.2009 14:56
Warp Zone 8bit Socks http://tinyurl.com/dxxwa3
14:55:02
18.03.2009 14:57
Having a stroke...... of GENIUS!!!!
14:55:02
18.03.2009 14:57
Almost finished with morning assessments. 3 more to go, then lunch.
14:55:02
18.03.2009 14:57
RT @fredwilson: Here are my thoughts on bonuses in startups http://bit.ly/6U1fq
14:55:03
18.03.2009 14:58
@geniealisa I thought you would like that ap, it even syncs via buletooth
14:55:03
18.03.2009 14:58
Ruby slippers bitches! - http://mobypicture.com/?i2gweg
14:55:03
18.03.2009 14:58
Ruby slippers bitches! - http://mobypicture.com/?i2gweg
14:55:03
18.03.2009 14:58
フグは乱交だから精子が強い。だからおいしい。ってことにならんかな
14:55:02
18.03.2009 14:58
RT @xotchil: Why are dandylions considered weeds? I LOVE them.
14:55:02
18.03.2009 14:58
シクレ、貴音なのか
14:55:03
18.03.2009 14:59
Typical. Just as I join twitter, it peaks: http://tinyurl.com/cyywee
14:55:04
18.03.2009 14:59
Just one class in the Dulin Learning Center today. Can you guess what it is?
14:59:03
18.03.2009 15:00
@jnw777 beef flavor is gooooood
14:59:03
18.03.2009 15:00
@Victoreeuh_Ann @Jessica_Dear ; It's supposed to be 80 today. ;P No worries. (:
14:59:03
18.03.2009 15:01
Bacon http://tinyurl.com/c7hjpa
14:59:03
18.03.2009 15:01
Nice day to ride with top down!
14:59:03
18.03.2009 15:02
http://link2biotech.com response time 0.206 seconds
14:59:03
18.03.2009 15:02
lol... I just told someone in office - 'my thing was long enough'... ooops :oP
16:09:46
18.03.2009 16:11
@apoloduvalis afortunadamente van 2 monitores a ayudarme a supervisarlos...
16:09:46
18.03.2009 16:11
@CherylSmith999 please email me, thanks!
16:09:46
18.03.2009 16:11
About to catch the 11:30 showing of We Live in Pubic at the Paramount.
16:09:46
18.03.2009 16:12
Dino is the new Rob Oswald.
16:09:46
18.03.2009 16:12
@otavioandrade dor de cabeça é uó..
16:09:46
18.03.2009 16:12
@mattpowersmusic good outlook to have ^_^
16:09:46
18.03.2009 16:12
population to increase 50% by 2050 :-(
16:09:46
18.03.2009 16:13
Please RT: You Dont Want to Miss This Home! - http://ilist.com/go/ggfbr
16:09:46
18.03.2009 16:14
IBMは65億ドルの現金でSunを買収する可能性が高いとWall Street Journalが報じている。
へー。今知ったw IBMは65億ドルの現金でSunを買収する可能性が高いとWall Street Journalが報じている。
16:09:47
18.03.2009 16:14
im sick this really sucs!!
16:09:47
18.03.2009 16:15
@AustinWise Yes...yes that might be a good idea. XD
16:09:48
18.03.2009 16:16
og det ble GRØNN, ja.
16:15:46
18.03.2009 16:17
Search continues for missing SC child http://tinyurl.com/dx58r5
16:15:46
18.03.2009 16:18
Well here comes the rain. Looks like beer and loading more tunes to the iPhone.
16:15:46
18.03.2009 16:18
@BrianBloye you going to be at the game....
16:15:46
18.03.2009 16:19
とらドラか
16:15:46
18.03.2009 16:20
Really bored since there is nothing to do in this town except work
16:15:46
18.03.2009 16:20
Decaf is really just coffee-flavored water, isn't it?
16:15:46
18.03.2009 16:21
@cecho おかえりした!
16:15:46
18.03.2009 16:21
心裡就算有再多少的感觸還是只能(最好)選擇無言
說 就讓那些過去的,停留在寫上句點的那頁。 心裡就算有再多少的感觸還是只能(最好)選擇無言 http://plurk.com/p/k1xug
16:15:47
18.03.2009 16:22
@Pistachio welcome home! Enjoy the nice spring day.
16:15:47
18.03.2009 16:22
Jade's family supports OK! issue http://twurl.nl/pcbb6x
Hate the G20
19.03.2009 00:59
Pyotor Kropotkin
Hide 64 hidden comments or hide all comments