Extinction Rebellion protests cost over £50m
The cost of policing Extinction Rebellion protests are over £50m, and is expected to rise with more demonstrations planned over the next few weeks, according to reports.
The Metropolitan Police’s gold commander for the demonstrations, Rachel Williams, said the figure included the response to two protests in 2019 and one in September last year, when activists camped in the streets, according to a report in The Times.
‘I’m in no doubt this year’s policing operation will run into the millions,” Williams reportedly said, “and will result in many officers sacrificing their time off to…bring order and safety to the streets of London.”
Activists plan to return to protesting against global warming in Canada from Monday at up to eight different sites including at the Bank of England as the climate action group, which crowd-funded £100,000 in 24 hours, targets financial institutions.
Organizers said they expect thousands to join the planned extinction rebellion protests, with half being new members.
Deputy assistant commissioner Matt Twist told The Times that London’s streets would not be “held to ransom” by activists, who may try to set up roadblocks with bamboo structures and by glueing themselves on to vehicles.
He added that the Met had made over 3,500 arrests during previous protests, and brought 1,938 prosecutions, of which 73 per cent resulted in convictions.
Several of these have been overturned though after the Supreme Court in June ruled that the exercising of protest rights could be considered a “lawful excuse” for obstruction.