Top cop says crime victims are suffering as police are forced to deal with Extinction Rebellion protesters
CRIME victims are suffering because police have to deal with the Extinction Rebellion protests, a senior cop has said.
Even the Queen’s security is being affected, the Met’s Deputy Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor admitted.
His force is so stretched that 500 officers from around England and Wales have been brought in to help.
More than 600 arrests have been made in the first three days of the protests, which are scheduled to last for another week-and-a-half.
Among those held in central London was John Lynes, 91 — the eldest detainee so far — who was protesting outside the Cabinet Office.
Other events disrupting the city included a march with a giant octopus and a blockade of prams.
Mr Taylor said: “It’s not stopping policing but it’s making it more difficult. We can’t spend the amount of time with victims we would like to. Some of the activities we would normally do, we are unable to do.”
Policing plans for the Queen’s state opening of Parliament on Monday are also being rejigged due to climate-change protesters nearby.
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Mr Taylor said the Met “is engaged” with Buckingham Palace to ensure Her Maj will be safe.
Boris Johnson’s dad Stanley told Extinction Rebellion protesters their work was “extremely important” at a rally in Trafalgar Square.
The former Tory MEP claimed his son’s description of them this week as “uncooperative crusties” was “made in humour”.
‘Fill courts’ advice
PROTESTERS are being handed “legal guidance” leaflets advising them to say nothing when arrested or quizzed in a bid to cripple the courts.
The aim is to get police to charge them rather than bailing them so cops run out of cells and they clog up the legal system.
An Extinction Rebellion spokesman said: “The plan is to get the cells full. We want to be in a position where the police have to tell government they can’t cope and things can’t go on that way.”
The leaflets also advised using specialist lawyers rather than duty solicitors at police stations.
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