“This weekend all eyes will be on London as it hosts the internationally important London Marathon, and the children’s Mini Marathon, as well as two FA Cup Semi Finals and several other football matches across the capital,” says Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist.
“We are also prepared for four-days of planned protests by Extinction Rebellion.
“Our experienced policing teams will be on duty throughout this period together with policing colleagues from British Transport Police and the City of London Police. People can expect to see a visible and engaging policing presence across London, including at transport hubs and other busy and crowded areas.
“We are in contact with the Extinction Rebellion organisers in the run up to their event, and will continue to engage with them throughout the period. In an effort to avoid serious disruption and delays to London’s communities and the other events taking place in London we continuously try to speak to those groups who are prepared to speak with us.
“As part of a significant policing response we will be using specialist officers to respond to any protesters who lock or glue themselves to street furniture or anything else. Where protest crosses the line into criminality, we will respond quickly to remove and arrest activists as appropriate, and return things to normal as soon as possible. I urge people not to take matters into their own hands.
“We want people to be able to enjoy the London Marathon and have been working hard with the event organisers, the event security team, British Transport Police and the City of London Police to achieve this. There will again be a highly visible policing presence in and around the route, at key transport hubs and across London.
“With a number of road closures in place, those attending are being asked to check the TfL and official London Marathon websites in advance, in order to plan their journeys. Planned road closures can be viewed here: https:///www.tcslondonmarathon.com/the-event/road-closures
“Additionally, this weekend is going to be the busiest day yet for football this season with over 1900 officers policing the matches, to prevent crime and any public order.”
