Police defend May Day action

More than 6,000 officers policed the protests

Police have defended their methods of containing May Day protesters in the centre of London after accusations of heavy-handedness.

More than 6,000 officers, including large numbers in riot gear, were deployed to control demonstrations by anti-capitalist, environmentalist, anarchist and animal rights groups across the capital.

May Day protests

92 arrests in London

50 people injured

29 hospitalised

Three police officers hurt

400 join carnival-style protest in Glasgow

60 march in Manchester

Two arrests in Bristol

Some protesters went on the rampage, smashing shop windows, after the main march was corralled into Oxford Circus by riot police and held for up to six hours. Civil liberties groups accused the police of overreacting.

But Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Mike Todd, said it was not a normal protest and people had been warned to stay away.

"There was a hardcore of people intent on violence and damage," he said.

Rocks, bottles and paving slabs were thrown at the police lines and some protesters tried to set fire to the Niketown store, he added.

Demonstrators were penned in for seven hours

Police made 92 arrests on Tuesday and 15 people were due in court on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Tony Blair congratulated the Metropolitan Police on the handling of the demonstration and said they had coped with the challenge magnificently.

The prime minister believes the Met conducted themselves with great success and forbearance

PM spokesman

Last year the police were criticised for being too lenient when protesters occupied Parliament Square and defaced the Cenotaph and statue of Winston Churchill.

A clean-up operation is now under way and the business community is believed to have lost around £20m in lost revenue as a result of the protest.

Hardcore activists

But Chris Nineham of protest group Globalise Resistance, said the police had whipped up hysteria prior to this year's event and acted too aggressively towards demonstrators.

"There was probably about one police officer for every protester and no respect for civil liberties," he said.

The police will have to pay out compensation, and they will have alienated thousands of innocent and peaceful protestors

John Wadham,
Liberty

"They are trying to criminalise anyone who wants to protest."

Mr Nineham said most of the violence occurred after 1900BST, after about 4,000 protesters had been penned in by riot police for hours with very little trouble.

"If you treat people like animals and create that level of tension, something is going to go off," he said.

John Wadham, director of human rights pressure group Liberty said the police action contrasted with last year's low-key approach.

"This year, unfortunately, the police caved in to political pressure. The containment of thousands of people was unnecessary, unlawful and will lead to justifiable complaints."

Counting the cost

Carl Powell, director of planning for Westminster City Council, praised the police action but said the city was now counting the cost.

"The direct cost to the city council has been £100,000, indirectly another £100,000," he said.

West End businesses are counting the cost of May Day

"The bigger cost has been to the business community. We estimate that retailers and office occupiers in the area have lost upwards of £20m in turnover."

London Mayor Ken Livingstone condemned a rampage by some protesters in Tottenham Court Road.

"This appalling vandalism shows the decision to contain the protesters was right," he said.

"The immediate turn to violence on dispersal indicates that this was the core objective of the organisers."

The Metropolitan Police Authority, which also praised the police tactics, said it did not yet have a cost for the operation but ancillary costs, including food for the officers, was around £150,000.