ACTIVISTS slammed the police today for diverting resources away from tackling racist riots and targeting peaceful climate protesters instead.
Protesters opposing Drax power station, Britain’s largest carbon emitter, were due to set up a protest camp today.
But police pre-emptively arrested 22 activists under public order offences, including conspiracy to interfere with key national infrastructure.
Police seized tents, toilets, a track for wheelchairs and other equipment to make the peaceful protest safe and accessible, organisers Reclaim the Power said.
The Silver Commander for the police operation, Supt Ed Haywood-Noble, admitted that police resources were “stretched nationally,” but still thought it was “essential” that the operation go ahead.
He claimed: “Policing is not anti-protest, we are anti-crime, and we are here to protect the public.”
The protest organisers hit back at the force for making the “unfathomable decision” to divert resources away from communities under attack in the racist violence sweeping Britain.
They accused the police of prioritising the arrest of peaceful protesters over “locating and arresting people who are actually organising far-right riots with bricks, knives and other weapons.”
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I’m wondering why the police are seizing “tents, toilets, a track for wheelchairs and other equipment to make the peaceful protest safe and accessible”. Is that part of their job too?