During the Covid-19 crisis, large gatherings should be banned, says the national chair of the Police Federation, the rank and file police association. John Apter said: “In normal times the principle of having the right to peaceful protests is an important one. However, we are not in normal times, we are tackling a deadly virus which is indiscriminate in who it can affect.
“Police officers have provided outstanding professionalism in their dealings with large gatherings during Covid-19 – some of which turned violent at the weekend.
“But we can’t ignore the avoidable risk our members and to those attending the protests are being exposed to. I urge the Home Secretary to be unequivocal in her terms that whilst we are under the threat of this virus, any large gathering or protest must be banned.
“We cannot allow our police officers and members of the public to be put at risk of contracting the virus, especially at such a critical time in our response to the pandemic.”
This came after clashes with police in central London on Saturday, including the arrest and charge of a man with outraging public decency after an incident of urination by the memorial in Parliament Square to PC Keith Palmer, among the dead of the Westminster Bridge terror attack of 2017. The Met Police yesterday reported some 113 arrests after the disorder, offences including breach of the peace, violent disorder, assault on officers, possession of an offensive weapon, possession of class A drugs and being drunk and disorderly. Some 23 Met officers were injured.
For the Met, Commander Bas Javid said yesterday: “The scenes officers encountered across central London yesterday were utterly shocking. Once again, they were pelted with missiles, or challenged by groups of men intent on violence.
“Mindless hooliganism such as this is totally unacceptable and I am pleased arrests were made. We will now work closely with the courts in pursuit of justice.
“I would like to thank those officers who showed enormous bravery in confronting violent behaviour, including our colleagues from British Transport Police and the City of London Police.”
Meanwhile, face coverings become mandatory on public transport in England under new Health Protection Regulations. British Transport Police (BTP) Assistant Chief Constable Sean O’Callaghan said: “We understand that initially not everyone may be aware that it is now mandatory to wear face coverings – therefore our approach will be to engage with the public, explain the new government policy and encourage them to follow the new regulations for travelling on the railway.
“Only as an absolute last resort will we carry out enforcement in the form of fines. We are sure that the public will want to be responsible and do their part to protect others by wearing face coverings.”
And chair of the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee, Unmesh Desai has written to Robert Buckland, Justice Secretary, saying a backlog of crown court cases is becoming unacceptable, and ‘as we adapt to the new normal, the Government must ensure that criminal justice systems are dealing with serious offenders swiftly and effectively so that the public can see justice being done’.
