Police tighten grip on London for Carnival
Scotland Yard deployed 10,000 police officers in London for the Notting Hill Carnival, the biggest police operation in the festival’s 47 year history, in a bid to avoid repetition of the violence seen during the riots earlier this month.
Special powers, such as high-visibility crackdowns, were used by the Metropolitan Police to search any suspected criminals in order to ward off trouble, according to reports.
More than a million people have descended upon the capital this weekend for Europe’s biggest street festival.
A total of 5,500 officers, including riot police, patrolled the carnival area on Sunday while 6,500 have taken to the streets today.
In addition over 4,000 additional officers have been posted elsewhere in London, according to reports. The Carnival procession will has started and ended early each day due to due to safety concerns.
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In a statement, the met said: “A section 60 and 60AA authority has been put in place across London. The decision has been taken to support the pan-London and Notting Hill Carnival policing operations to keep the capital as safe as can be.”
A similar number of visitors descended on the city in April for the royal
wedding, which was also perceived as a potential terror threat, but there were only 5,000 officers on duty that day.
Meanwhile 16,000 officers were deployed on the streets of London after the riots had begun to escalate earlier this month.
London Mayor Boris Johnson is hoping the Carnival will help restore London’s reputation after the riots. He said: “let the true spirit of London shine through”.
The Notting Hill Carnival which continues to be a celebration of Caribbean culture and the UK’s close ties with the islands, will pass along the following main roads - Westbourne Grove, Chepstow Avenue, Great Western Road, Kensal Road and Ladbroke Grove - all will be closed to traffic.
The Notting Hill Carnival, which began in 1964 as a local festival that was set up by local West Indian immigrants, now attracts millions of visitors from around the world each year. One million visitors were present in 2010.
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