One would think that the Coronavirus would have put an end to the Extinction Rebellion demonstrations. Not so as a group of topless women blocked Waterloo Bridge on Sunday and were probably more likely to catch a cold than the virus. (Warning: Nudity alert)
Politicians and the police must plan for the future to stop all demonstrations causing disruption and annoyance to the public.
Football matches have police in attendance for whom the clubs pay a fee (in effect the supporter pays in the price of his ticket) so why should those demonstrating not be charged a fee? The organisers should tell the police how many they expect and pay £10 a head in advance. If they estimate 500 people, the organisers pay £5,000 and get the money back from the demonstrators.
A positive point is that on being asked to pay £10 many of the would-be-demonstrators would melt away. Would parents allow their children to play truant if they had to pay £10? Last year’s demonstrations in London cost the Metropolitan police £40million. Why should the taxpayer pay for demonstrators hell-bent on destroying not only the economy but civilisation as we know it today to revert to pre-industrial times?
China is to build 216 new airports by 2035 and India 100 by 2024. Meanwhile China, India, Japan, Germany and other countries are building coal-fired power plants, exploiting coal, gas and oil and ignoring the promises – note not legally binding – made at the Paris Agreement.
