Policing protests will cost Met £10m this month as chief says they have ‘no choice’ but to arrest Palestine Action supporters
Cost of policing summer protests across London revealed
- Policing protests in London is estimated to cost the Metropolitan Police at least £10 million this month, it has been revealed, ahead of a major rally supporting Palestine Action.
- Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan stated that anyone showing support for Palestine Action, a banned group, will be arrested under the Terrorism Act, with the Met having sufficient resources for mass arrests.
- Over 500 people were arrested at a similar protest in August, leading to a street bail system, and the Met warns that attempts to overwhelm policing will fail.
- Palestine Action was proscribed as a terror organisation in July after claiming responsibility for damaging two Voyager planes at RAF Brize Norton, making support for the group a criminal offence.
- Protest organisers, Defend Our Juries, have urged Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley not to arrest peaceful protesters, highlighting that other police forces have not made such arrests.