The Metropolitan Police has said it is “very likely” that arrests will be made more swiftly when it deals with large protests in the future.
Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist, responsible for protest and public order policing across London, also acknowledged the force “didn’t get everything right” when handling demonstrations in recent times.
This follows a report indicating that “a new era of increasingly disruptive protests” has led people to cancel plans to visit tourist attractions or go shopping.
Frequent protests and counter-demonstrations have been taking place since last October, including actions by environmental campaigners and groups calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Protests also escalated into rioting and disorder following the killing of three girls in an attack in Southport in July.
Speaking to the right-wing thinktank Policy Exchange in May, prior to the summer unrest but only recently released, Mr Twist said: “When we review the policing of protests over the last eight months, we know we didn’t get everything right—especially in the early stages in October.
“We are now much more focused on identifying reasonable grounds for arrest, taking action where necessary, and then investigating. In these circumstances, it’s very likely arrests would be made more quickly now.”
Addressing the issue of “two-tier” policing, Mr Twist added: “We base our policing tactics on the level of threat, harm, and risk, according to the information and intelligence available to us.
“In that sense, there is no such thing as ‘two-tier or differential policing’—in fact, there are countless tiers of policing, depending on the level of threat, harm, and risk.”
The report, released by Policy Exchange, also emphasised how current legislation requires protest organisers to give six days’ notice to the police of their intention to hold a march.
A nationwide survey of over 1,500 adults found that more than two-thirds of respondents would cancel plans to travel with young children (71%) or an elderly or mobility-impaired companion (69%) if a major protest was happening nearby.
In terms of leisure and shopping, 62% of those surveyed would cancel plans to visit a tourist attraction, while 58% would avoid going shopping. This figure rises to 69% among women.
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