Public Order Policing

Hywel Francis Excerpts

Monday 13th December 2010 Commons Chamber

[Mrs May]

There have been a number of suggestions that further demonstrations will take place, and I expect the police to continue to deal with such demonstrations robustly.

[Dr Hywel Francis (Aberavon) (Lab)]

The Home Secretary will be aware that the Association of Chief Police Officers has excellent guidelines on kettling or containment. Does she agree that in the future—never mind what has happened in the past—it would be good to focus specifically on communication between the organisers of demonstrations and the police?

[Mrs May]

Yes, there are guidelines on the use of kettling, when it is appropriate and how it should be undertaken. As for communications between the police and organisers, one of the features of the demonstrations that have taken place so far is that although the police have taken great pains to communicate with the organisers, sadly the organisers have then not appeared to be able to maintain the demonstration as originally suggested. We have seen a number of violent people doing what they want to do, which is to create criminal damage and violence at the heart of those demonstrations, and that is something that we must all condemn. Peaceful protest is appropriate, and we want to enable it to happen, but violent protest is not.