ET May Day extremists face 'zero tolerance'
By John Steele, Crime Correspondent

A HUGE policing operation is planned in central London tomorrow to tackle up to 1,000 violent anarchists and animal rights extremists planning to hijack May Day protests.

All police leave has been cancelled and up to 6,000 extra officers from the Metropolitan Police and the British Transport and City of London forces will be on duty to prevent major disruption. Ken Livingstone, London's mayor, said the police had been instructed to adopt a policy of "zero tolerance" towards violent protest, and urged people to stay away.

Mr Livingstone said on BBC television yesterday: "At the slightest sign of violence, people will be arrested." He said the organisers of the protest wanted to create "scenes of mayhem", but if there were fewer "innocent people" around, the police would be able to concentrate on trying to identify the ringleaders.

Estimates have suggested that between 6,000 and 10,000 genuine supporters of a range of anti-capitalist, animal rights and ecological causes might respond to internet appeals for them to attend a series of events in London.

They are based loosely on the theme of "May Day Monopoly" and are focused on locations used in the board game. However, a sustained publicity campaign by Scotland Yard aimed at persuading peaceful demonstrators to stay away could mean that police officers outnumber protesters.

The Met's Assistant Commissioner, Michael Todd, said yesterday: "It appears that our message to stay away if you are a genuine protester is getting through and that some people are deciding not to come to London." Yard chiefs are aware that by Wednesday they could be facing charges of over-reaction and heavy-handedness.

But the images of last May Day - including vandalism to Winston Churchill's statue and the defacing of the Cenotaph - have left their mark on Sir John Stevens, the Metropolitan Commissioner, and senior officers. Some public order officers, however, believe last year was a "success".

Despite a spasm of violence and criminality in Whitehall and Parliament Square, greater trouble was averted. Others, including some in the Met's special branch, believe a degree of irreverent protest should be tolerated, to avoid playing into the hands of the extremists.

Scotland Yard is keen to stress its duty to allow genuine protest. However, this year's operation has been influenced by officers who do not want a repetition of last year's images of lawlessness and subsequent accusations that police were "too soft" and lost control.

There is little doubt that the Government wants to avoid similar scenes in a pre-election period. Police hope businesses will remain open and London will function normally to avoid presenting a victory to the violent protesters.

The problem, however, is that the series of "Monopoly" events outlined on the internet could be misinformation, although sources say they would be negligent in not warning up to 200 businesses and institutions identified as possible targets. Trouble could occur anywhere, but senior officers believe that Oxford Street remains the principal target.

Mr Todd said: "Recently, one premises on Oxford Street was visited at night. An employee challenged an individual with a camera and asked what they were doing. "The reply given was that filming was being carried out so that a comparison could be made between the state of the building before and after May Day." It is reported the premises were those of Niketown.

The Met has nominated six stations as "charge centres" to deal with the expected flow of arrests. Riot-trained officers will be on call, as will specialist units to deal with any attempts to occupy buildings. Particular attention will be paid to anyone seen in masks, balaclavas or having made an obvious attempt to hide their identity.

The Yard dismissed suggestions that it feared the use of samurai swords or machetes or that it was planning to deploy armed officers. Disrupting the key trouble-makers remains a high priority. They number only dozens of the 1,000 potentially violent demonstrators, and many are known, even if the names of their groupings change regularly.

However, Yard sources say it is not possible in law to place them under "house arrest" before the event if there is no evidence that they are committing crimes. The ring-leaders, however, can expect to be closely monitored by covert spotters and overt video-recording. Police also hope that anybody wanted in connection with last year's protests will be caught by these methods.

Tony Benn, the veteran Labour MP, defended demonstrations. He said the sacking of 3,000 people by Motorola in Scotland was more "violent" and damaging to individuals than the planned May Day protest.

-- Anonymous, April 29, 2001