We’ll Now Arrest People More Quickly At Protests, Met Police Deputy Chief Warns

The Metropolitan Police has said it is “very likely” arrests will be made more quickly when it handles large protests in the future.

Assistant commissioner Matt Twist, who is responsible for protest and public order policing across London, also admitted the force “didn’t get everything right” when policing demonstrations in recent times.

It comes as a report said “a new era of increasingly disruptive protests” was forcing people to drop plans to visit tourist attractions or go to the shops.

Frequent protests and counter-demonstrations have been held since last October, including by environmental campaigners and from groups calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Protests also developed into rioting and disorder after three girls were killed in an attack in Southport in July.

In comments to right-wing thinktank Policy Exchange in May, which were made before the unrest in the summer and have just been released, Mr Twist said: “When we look back at the policing of protests over the last eight months, we know we didn’t get everything right – particularly in the early stages in October.

“We are now much more focused on identifying reasonable grounds for arrest, acting where needed, and then investigating, so in these circumstances it’s very likely arrests would be made more quickly now.”

On the topic of “two-tier” policing, Mr Twist added: “We base policing tactics on the threat, harm and risk based on the information and intelligence available to us.

“In that sense there is no such thing as ‘two-tier or differential policing’ – there are in fact an infinite number of tiers of policing, depending on the threat, harm and risk.”

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The report, released by Policy Exchange, highlighted how current legislation requires protest organisers to provide six days’ notice to the police of their intention to stage a march.

A nationwide poll of more than 1,500 adults found more than two thirds of respondents would drop plans to travel with small children (71%) or an elderly or mobility-impaired friend or relative (69%) if a major protest was taking place nearby.

In terms of leisure and retail, 62% of those surveyed would drop plans to visit a tourist attraction, while 58% said they would not go shopping – this rises to 69% for women.