A video has been shared on Twitter which shows just how quickly police resources can become tied up as ‘Extinction Rebellion’ protesters are arrested and/or detained by the police.
In the 19 second video (below), 25 police officers can be seen keeping guard over protestors who appear to have been either detained or arrested by officers.
The video has been captioned: ‘The queue for the van’ (referring to the police vans which will be used to convey the detained persons to custody).
One Twitter user added:
‘XR know where the choke points are, it’s not the TSG, it’s the custody suite(s) capacity that dictates the tactics nowadays’.
The Met has imposed strict conditions on protestors who are taking part in a so-called “Honk for Hope” procession that is supposed to be held in Westminster today.
“Honk for “Hope” is a vehicle procession of coaches that will be passing by Parliament as they ‘honk’ their horns having converged on the location after starting from various points from across the capital.
The Met’s conditions mean that protestors are not allowed to stop – other than when obeying lawful traffic signals and directions – and they are forbidden from using certain roads which have detailed by the Met.
Speaking about the planned protests yesterday, Commander Jane Connors, the Gold Commander for London, said:
“Ahead of a number of planned environmental protests due to take place in central London tomorrow, we have decided to impose conditions under Section 12 and Section 14 of the Public Order Act (1986) on protesters looking to assemble, and those looking to go on a procession.
“The reason we have implemented these conditions is that we know these protests may result in serious disruption to local businesses, commuters and our communities and residents, which I will not tolerate.
“If you take part in tomorrow’s assembly or processions and knowingly fail to comply with these conditions, or incite others to fail to comply, you may commit an offence and may be liable to arrest.”
Talking about the protests, a spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion said:
“The government is failing to do what’s necessary to keep people safe. We are here, taking action because their criminal negligence is putting lives at risk.
“They must not be allowed to carry on like this. We have an opportunity to turn this sinking ship around, but we must act now, not next year, not in ten years. Now.
“You don’t need to be told by Extinction Rebellion how bad this crisis is.
“Just look around you, look at California, Brazil, Mauritius, Wales, your own backyard. Our world is unravelling, the collapse of civilisation is now a very real, near-term threat. It’s never been more clear that we are in a state of planetary emergency.
“The social contract between government and its citizens is broken.
“We refuse to be bystanders and wait for this emergency to push beyond the point of no return.
“While those in the global South burn, while our children are set to pay for our mistakes, while our most vulnerable in society suffer first and worst. This is why we act.
How can you help Emergency Services News?
You can follow Emergency Services News on Twitter, and you can also subscribe, for free, to our Newsletter, which includes a daily digest of our top stories and videos.
You can also find us on YouTube and LinkedIn.
We have also just launched a brand new podcast show that is available on Spotify.
Join our WhatsApp community!
ESN is now on WhatsApp, and we want you to join our 'read only' channel.
To join, you need to have WhatsApp on your device. All you need to do is click the link and press 'Join community'.
No one will be able to see who is signed up, and no one can send messages except the ESN team.You won't get any 'SPAM' just news stories & videos written & produced by our team of former emergency services personnel.
Joining our WhatsApp channel is a great way to help support our work and best of all, it is free!
If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community, click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Before you read or leave a comment...
In an age where mainstream media often overlooks the sacrifices made by our emergency services personnel, Emergency Services News is a critical fact-based voice you can trust
While we persist in our mission, we need your help to continue. Your donation directly enables us to produce high-quality content that elevates the stories and challenges faced by the men and women who serve, stories that are often ignored elsewhere.
We deeply appreciate your support. Your contribution empowers us to keep shining a light on the remarkable, yet often overlooked, individuals who serve our communities every day. Thank you for standing with us.
You can support emergency services news from as little as £1. It only takes a minute. Every contribution, however big or small, is vital for our future.
Please help us to continue to highlight the life-saving work of the emergency services, NHS and armed forces by becoming a supporter.
I watched an interview earlier of one of the rebellious founders. She said she had to take her children to school but wasn’t asked how? Or how big her car was. I bet they didn’t walk !!!