Guardian - Police underestimated size of protest, delayed march

[Screaming Lord Byron]

Now that is more like it.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/antiwar/story/0,12809,1089661,00.html

130,000 anyone?

[Palacsinta]

1. Operation Saxon?

What the heck does that mean? Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, I can understand.

[rocktivity]

2. Uh...

Police estimated the number of people on the march at 25,000 but the protest's organisers, Stop the War Coalition, said the figure was 130,000. For safety reasons, police are likely to close Trafalgar Square to marchers once 100,000 people have arrived there...

Police delayed the start of the procession because they had underestimated the number of protesters that would attend...

The police say there was only 25,000 people but that was so many more than they expected they had to delay the start of the parade? How many WERE they expecting, then--seven?


rocknation

[Screaming Lord Byron]

3. misinformation, you can always at least double police figures.

As people get home from work, there'll be heading over.

[lefty_mcduff]

4. It's early evening in the UK

The folks are just finishing their supper, getting home from work, school, etc. The protest will expand from this point on.

[remfan]

5. indymedia's reporting people are still at the starting point

and the march started 2 hours ago.

[pippin]

6. how different the English are

regarding their attitude toward protest:

"Mr Trotter (Scotland Yard's deputy assistant commissioner)added that the controversial stop-and-search police powers under section 44 of the Terrorism Act, which were recently the subject of a high court battle with the civil rights group Liberty, could be used in policing today's demonstration.

He said: "We will use it sparingly and carefully, but I don't rule out its use whatsoever."

Here in the land of the free protesters would be hand cuffed, beaten and hauled off at the first chance civil rights be damned. :-(

[madddog]

7. well, THAT's reassuring

too bad they haven't used much restraint with those powers in Northern Ireland for the last 30 years.

And you do know what they did to a peaceful protest in Derry on January 30, 1972, don't you?

[RandomKoolzip]

8. Yeah, contrast that with what's happeneing in MIami right now

where the cops are bashing heads whenever they feel like it, hitting unarmed demonstrators in the back of the head by surprise. And the demos in Miami have been peaceful, except for the cops starting shit.

[Kbick]

9. Live Pictures from Trafalgar Square

http://www.camvista.com/england/london/trafsq.php3

Live Pictures from Trafalgar Square.

[newyawker99]

12. Hi Kbick!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[dkamin]

10. Seriously

Why would you need 14,000 cops for 25,000 protestors?

Smells like propaganda to me.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

11. Yeah, 14,000 cops and the demo on a Thursday.

Getting 100k out under those conditions is extraordinary.

[loudnclear]

13. Micahel Jackson and Miami diverting US attention from UK protests.

If Americans could only see what the rest of the world thinks of Bush, maybe they would come to their senses.

It's really not Bush, but he is the one the cabal has put out in front. This should be a protest against Cheney (the real President of the US), Wolfowitz, Feith, Rummy, and Perle.

[Barrett808]

14. UK IMC estimates 250,000 in Trafalgar Square

http://www.indymedia.org.uk

17.52: In Trafalgar Square, fires are being lit to keep people warm. Plenty of drumming going on too.There's a police line across the Whitehall/Trafalgar Square junction, then another police line further down Whitehall. There are no protesters in between. Behind the second police line, there are more protesters including a samba band. Trafalgar Square is still full, as are the surrounding streets. There's also a police line at The Mall/Trafalgar Square junction. Police are not letting people out (in any numbers) of Trafalgar Square via The Mall or Whitehall. ... Trafalgar Square is completely full. One marcher can see around 250,000 people, so we estimate around 300,000 total marching in London so far. The crowd is "very lively", he says.

Trafalgar Square web cam:
http://www.camvista.com/england/london/trafsq.php3