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Womble riot threat as Commons opens
Last updated at 09:37am on 06.10.06Riot police will be on a major security alert for the opening of Parliament on Monday.
Anarchists are threatening to storm the Palace of Westminster in a potentially violent anti-war demonstration.
Protesters from across Britain are expected to travel to London for the "Sack Parliament" event.
The demonstrators are likely to include the notorious anti-capitalist group the Wombles - White Overall Movement Building Liberations through Effective Struggle.
The group was at the centre of the major anti-capitalist protests in 2000 and 2001 that brought violence and mayhem to the capital. About 800 police will be on stand-by in and around Parliament Square to stamp out any trouble on Monday.
Riot squads will be held in readiness nearby.
Police have been gathering intelligence on the demonstration plans for weeks.
They believe several anarchist and anti-war groups such as the Stop The War Coalition are planning to travel to the capital.
The demonstration is planned coincide with the opening of the Parliament in the afternoon. An Internet website advertising the protest says: "Despite repeated mass protests parliament has ignored those it is supposed to represent and consistently sided with continuing wars and further authoritarian legislation. We have only one option left: Sack Parliament."
Commander Bob Broadhurst, who is organising the police response, said he believed a small, hard-core group of activists were planning trouble.
He said: "We have contacted these groups and told them they are entitled to demonstrate if they seek permission to do so but they have not done that.
"We do not believe that they will ask for permission so any protest and anything they do will be unlawful. Our message to anyone coming to London to disrupt Parliament is that we will stop them.
"We cannot take the risk of allowing people to disrupt the democratic process and we will be robust in dealing with them."
Police are expecting protesters to try to disrupt MPs attending Parliament and block roads around the Palace of Westminster.
The 2000 May Day protests culminated in an occupation of Parliament Square, with the statue of Winston Churchill being defaced and given a green mohawk. The following year hundreds of protests were penned in for hours by police in Oxford Circus.
Last year the Wombles were among anarchists groups who ran riot on the first day of the G8 summit at Gleneagles.
Reader views (8)
Why shouldn't they?
- Paul T, East Sussex
The issue of asking permission is a red herring: since the new exclusion zone around Parliament was created in 2005, not a single request to protest in Parliament Square has been granted. MPs have decided they don't want to hear the voices of the electorate.
- Michael, London
Once again massive police resources wasted on a scruffy anrchist demo, while the real criminals, the ones wasting our taxes, closing our hospitals and staring wars that no one agrees with are let off the hook.
- Monkey Man, London, UK
Our lawyers have informed us that it is legal for the people to attempt to arrest the government and close them down under the current circumstances where there is sufficient evidence against them, and a reasonable chance of conviction in the courts. Thank you.
- Earth Aid Campaign, London
Having to "ask for permission" to demonstrate is a direct contravention of the rights of ANY democratic society. It shows why this government has no right to be in power.
I detest violence, and I hope that the protest passes peacefully. That having been said, this government DESERVES to be sacked.
Good luck to all involved. Especially as the police have stated that their dealing with this rightful protest will be "robust".
- Psi, Reading
They defaced the statue of Winston Churchill last time out? A man that genuinely fought for freedom and democracy. The irony is surely lost on these ill-educated "protesters."
It is patently obvious that these groups aren't for either peace or democracy, they're simply on the other side. Not only do they engage in violent protests they seem to have no problem with vandalism and other acts of petty crime.
We ban football hooligans from match grounds, it's about time the ringleaders of these anarchist groups were prevented from using public transport.
- Rob, Colchester, UK
This is a demonstration for peace and for democracy and deserves our support and solidarity.
- Simon, Sheffield
"Anything they do will be unlawful"? Good to see that the Police aren't prejudging the situation...
Demonstrators won't be starting any wars of aggression, which is more than can be said for Parliament.
- Stan The Man, London
