Monday 4 April 2011

Riots

Faces of anarchist mob revealed by police

These are the faces of violent protesters who attacked police and damaged property during last weekend's orgy of violence in London.

These are the faces of violent protesters who attacked police and damaged property during last weekend's orgy of violence in London.
The rioters are wanted for offences including attacking officers  
The 18 are wanted by Scotland Yard after being captured taking part in anarchist violence in Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly and Oxford Street, during the TUC march against the Coalition's programme of cuts to public spending.
The pictures of the 18 - who are wanted for offences including attacking officers - came amid warnings of further unrest surrounding the Royal Wedding at the end of the month and the state visit of President Obama in May.
Senior officers, led by Assistant Commissioner Lynne Owens, Scotland Yard's head of operations, have briefed members of the Metropolitan Police Authority, to expect further violence this year.
They have told a special civil liberties "scrutiny panel" that anarchists are expected to strike again.
Twelve officers were treated in hospital during the latest violence, the most serious suffering a broken collar bone. In all 201 protesters were arrested and 147 have been charged.
Now a new report to the police authority says: "It is anticipated that large scale protests will continue to take place in London during 2011, and the MPS will also see substantial demands on public order policing in relation to events such as the Royal Wedding and state visits.
Intelligence reports suggest that the visit of President Obama in May is likely to be more of a focal point for unrest than the wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William next month.
The US President and his wife Michelle are due to arrive in Britain on 24 May for a three-day trip ahead of the G8 summit of world leaders in France.
But the Civil Liberties panel has warned that the force's efforts must be guided by the over-riding aim of 'securing public confidence in policing tactics...and ensuring the Met maintains public trust".
It has ordered officers dealing with the violent scenes witnessed last week and during the tuition fees demonstrations at the end of last year that they must "develop relationships" with the protest groups.
Set up by London Mayor Boris Johnson in response to public concerns over the policing of the G20 summit in 2009 during which a bystander was killed after being pushed by a policeman, it will meet later this month to examine how effectively officers dealt with last weekend's events.
An unpublished extract from the panel's report into the G20 protests says: "The Met must learn the lessons from G20 to ensure they are fully prepared, particularly in the light of the forthcoming Royal Wedding, the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and other high profile events including the Queen's Diamond Jubilee."
It adds: "The changing nature of the protests (such as the recent demonstrations against the proposed rise in tuition fees) and the impact of international incidents can have on London both need to be considered and responded to.
"Getting this right will help build public confidence in the Met and develop relationships with Londoners, including legitimate protest groups, to facilitate peaceful protest."
The panel, which is chaired by the Lady Victoria Borwick, oversees the Met's "human rights compliance" and has criticised tacting including "kettling" where large groups of protesters are separated off and held within a cordon for several hours.
Last week's actions have already been criticised in some quarters after the police arrested large numbers of demonstrators from the UKUncut group, who staged a sit down protest at the luxury-goods store Fortum and Mason.
The 138 UKUncut members' arrest and detention was in contrast to the arrest of just 11 people for violence, despite scores of people, including members of so-called "black bloc" anarchist groups, who fought running battles with the police, smashed shop and bank windows and through paint bombs at other buildings including the Ritz hotel.
Internal estimates, obtained by the Sunday Telegraph, say that policing each day of unrest costs at least £1.42 million. This figure is based on the £6.93 million it cost to deal with seven protests between 10 November and 14 December last year, including the attack on the Tory Party headquarters at Millbank.
But in the aftermath of the latest protest, officers are taking a similar approach to that adopted after the recent anti-tuition fee demos when it set up an incident room manned by more than 80 officers and civilian staff to painstakingly identify those behind the violence using thousands of hours of CCTV and surveillance footage of the event, leading to the pictures of the wanted released last night.
The investigation team can be contacted on 020 8246 9386 or via Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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