Eyewitness: Protests and the rare appearance of PC Rain

Chris Hobbs pours over what happened when the latest protests took place across the capital this weekend.

Over the past years, on protest days in central London, PC Rain, so often lauded for his calming influence on protesters, has been conspicuously absent from duty. On Saturday, however, the day was dark, damp, gloomy and threatening and clearly had an impact on the days public order events.

Once again, there was an ‘arrest me’ protest where activists who support the proscribed group, Palestine Action, publicly displayed that support and were therefore liable to arrest.

This protest was arranged for Tavistock Square Gardens on the grassed area which soon displayed signs of wear due to the weather. Just before 1PM, protesters began writing and displaying their pro-Palestine Action placards and the arrests soon commenced. In addition to Met serials, officers were also present from other forces including Staffordshire and West Midlands.

Experience from past events was put to good use with prisoners being taken out of the gardens, through a guarded gate and into prisoner transport carriers in what was an efficient and effective operation. Some of those arrested, as before, made life difficult for police by refusing to walk; others were more compliant. All those arrested were applauded by those who opted not to be apprehended.

Numbers down

Numbers however were well down on the previous ‘arrest me’ protests which took place in Parliament Square and Trafalgar Square. Arrests began at 1PM and were concluded by 2.30. The Met later gave the numbers of those arrested as ‘at least’ 90; arrests at the two previous protests referred to above numbered around 500 on each occasion.

Officers familiar with these protests speculated that there were two possible reasons for the relatively low turnout; the first being the weather, the second, adverse publicity surrounding the current trial of Palestine Action activists. This concerns their alleged attempt to sabotage the UK Elbit Systems factory based in Filton near Bristol: Elbit are an Israeli-based international high-technology company that develops and manufactures a wide range of defence and homeland security systems. Prosecution evidence heard during the current trial stated that during the incident, police and security personnel were attacked with a female police officer suffering fractures to her back allegedly caused by an activist wielding a sledgehammer.

No to digital ID

There was another protest in central London directed against the possibility of ‘digital ID’ being imposed on the UK’s adult population. About 500 gathered at Marble Arch and marched to Trafalgar Square. The rain didn’t appear to dampen their enthusiasm but it was interesting to hear that this protest had attracted those from both the left and right of the political spectrum. This led one wag to predict, amidst much mirth, that at a future demonstration, Jeremy Corbyn and Tommy Robinson would head a digital ID protest march arm in arm.

Also present at the edge of Trafalgar Square, outside the Ugandan Embassy, were a small group of chanting and singing Ugandans who were protesting against the ‘dictatorial’ government in their homeland. Posters alleged that the regime engage in torture and murder.

Anti-migrant protest in West Drayton

The Met also had to police an anti-migrant protest in West Drayton where, it would seem, hotels that normally cater for those travelling to or from Heathrow are now housing migrants. Officers from Wales were deployed as were the Met’s TSG.
Several hundred protesters took part despite the weather and there was a small counter-protest. There are no obvious reports suggesting disorder either from the Met or the media.

And then Sunday

If the Met were expecting a quiet Sunday on the protest front, they were to be disappointed. Pro-Palestinians apparently discovered a ‘pro-Israeli’ event being held at the St. John’s Wood synagogue. This would appear to combine a concert with advice in respect of migrating to Israel. The Met, making it clear that this was a ‘short notice’ event, imposed conditions on the pro-Palestine group and ‘Stop the Hate’ who moved quickly to organise a counter-protest.

Live footage showed officers keeping the two groups apart with TSG carriers arriving on ‘blues and twos.’

There’s no let up for the Met next weekend with another large ‘national’ Palestine protest scheduled for central London which will inevitably trigger a pro-Israeli counter-protest. Officers deputed to police those protests will doubtless scan the weather forecast to see if PC Rain will again report for duty.