The Royal Wedding the Dark side of Repression of Dissent - Section 60 orders to stop and search and unmask protestors

Police threw a section 60 cordon around the whole of the Royal weddingzone on Friday morning to respond to anarchists masking up at a small gathering in Soho Square in central London.

The section 60 order allows police officers to stop and search anyone without discretion. The police also imposed section 60a, which gives them the power to remove masks and balaclavas from anyone within the area.

The Yard said they made the decision after individuals were seen masking up in Soho Square where a group of anarchists had gathered.

At least one arrest was made after a clash in Soho Square between plainclothes officers and one individual after he started singing "we all live in a fascist regime" to the tune of We All Live in a Yellow Submarine.

By 11.45am police said 18 arrests had been made across the Royal Wedding exclusion zone. These included one for criminal damage.

The arrests took place in and just outside the exclusion zone around Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace.

Scotland Yard said two people were arrested for being drunk and disorderly, one for assault, one for possessing an offensive weapon, two for breach of the peace, two for theft.

The biggest security operation in the Metropolitan police's recent history has seen the deployment of 5,000 officers, including a 1,000-strong rapid-response team to react to any criminality, direct action or extremist threats inside and outside the exclusion zone.

In pre-emptive action on Wednesday and Thursday officers from the Met raided five squats in London and one in Hove, arresting 21 people.

All were released and bailed with conditions that bar them from the City of Westminster on Friday.

On Thursday night Cambridgeshire police arrested Charlie Veitch, a self confessed anarchist, for conspiracy to cause a public nuisance and breach of the peace.

It is understood police believed Veitch was planning to cause disruption in Soho Square, central London.

Sir Paul Stephenson, the Scotland Yard commissioner, said his force was prepared for every eventuality.

Asked about the raids on the squats, he said the public would expect the police to carry out their job.

Source:

http://www.1bdnews.com/guardian/2011/04/29/royal-wedding-police-use-section-60-to-deter-anarchists