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| NEWS > 28 October 2006 |
Other related articles:
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Telegraph.co.uk - United Kingd
28 October 2006
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The cannons haven't been used
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Police want water cannons to d
Deepening divisions in British society along religious and political lines are forcing police to consider new riot-control tactics – including the deployment of water cannons.
Senior officers fear that the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and last year's July 7 Tube bombings have created a "new reality" in London, with a "volatile mix" of viewpoints on the streets.
In response, the Metropolitan Police, the country's biggest force, is now considering buying water cannons, which have never been used in mainland Britain, to deal with the most hostile protests.
The review of "public order" policing tactics comes after angry Muslim demonstrations against Pope Benedict XVI last month and against cartoons of the prophet Mohammed earlier this year. It also follows the Countryside Alliance march that turned violent in 2004.
In a report seen by The Sunday Telegraph, Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur warned: "Since the millennium, the increasing impact of globalisation on the very fabric of London has changed the landscape of political protest.
"Recent high-profile demonstrations and the actions of individuals or small groups at localised protests have served to highlight a key and complex dynamic emerging in London, built around a potentially volatile mix of issues… and increasingly diametrically opposed religious-political viewpoints."
He promised a full review of public-order tactics focusing on what he called "the top end of the continuum of force". He added: "We will be exploring the potential for new equipment such as water cannons."
Scotland Yard said it would seek to win a public mandate for its riot-control tactics. However, critics warned that the use of water cannons against religious or political protesters would inflame already tense situations.
Police chiefs are well aware of the effect that the sight of officers in riot gear, let alone the deployment of offensive equipment, can have on an angry crowd. Such tactics are recommended for use only when there is intelligence that violence is planned.
The threat of tough new riot-control equipment comes after the Met faced widespread criticism for its "softly-softly" tactics at demonstrations by Islamic extremists.
Officers made no arrests at last month's demonstration outside Westminster Cathedral, organised by Anjem Choudary, a prominent extremist, who told an interviewer that the Pope should face "capital punishment".
There were also complaints after the demonstration against the Danish cartoons in Trafalgar Square in February, when protesters carried placards with slogans such as "Behead those who insult Islam".
AC Ghaffur, Britain's most senior Muslim policeman, is examining ways to prosecute extremists over their -behaviour on demonstrations. He has expressed frustration that protests by fringe groups can gain widespread publicity, "causing a huge amount of concern among Muslims and other communities".
Jenny Jones, a member of the Metropolitan Police Authority who will sit on a panel reviewing the force's public order tactics, said: "Water cannons are just not appropriate for use in a democracy like ours. It's a tactic for a repressive police force or army. If we want to make things worse, the way to do it is to put police officers out in their riot gear and give them Tasers [stun guns] and water cannons."
Damian Hockney, another member of the authority, said: "The Met is rightly committed to improving community relations. Using water cannons is hardly going to further this aim. If we get to the appalling situation of religious riots or disorder, bringing water cannons on to the streets would only inflame tensions."
Sir Ian Blair, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner who is seen as a backer of "softly-softly" policing, is understood to be sceptical about the need for the cannons.
A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "Water cannon is an obvious piece of public order equipment we do not have, which is why we are looking at it. This is ongoing work and no decision has been taken."
The Met began to study the possibility of using the equipment last year after the debriefing of officers involved in the Countryside Alliance demonstration which left 60 police and dozens of protesters injured.
Water cannons are commonly used on the Continent. In France, police used them against rioting youths in Paris earlier this year.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland has six of the vans, each costing £750,000.
Whereas early water cannons hit their targets with a high-pressure jet, modern machines are also capable of firing an intense wet haze that leaves protesters uncomfortable and struggling to breathe.
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