Climbing on Royal Artillery Memorial an affront to Armed Forces, Downing Street says
Downing Street has described pro-Palestinian protesters climbing on the Royal Artillery Memorial in London as an "affront" which will have appalled the public.
Members of a breakaway group scaled the memorial at Hyde Park Corner on Wednesday night after a protest demanding a ceasefire in Gaza outside Parliament.
In response to footage of the protesters climbing on the memorial, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "It's an affront to our Armed Forces, it goes against our British values, it’s not acceptable."
The spokesman added: "We will look at what further measures are needed so that the police can have confidence in taking action on this.
"We do believe there are extensive powers available to them but the public will have been shocked and I’m sure appalled by what they saw."
Responding to footage of the event online, Veterans Affairs Minister Johnny Mercer, a former artillery officer, said: "I will not stand idly by whilst individuals think this is the correct way to treat these memorials."
Mr Mercer said the police had a "difficult job with mobs and protesters" but "we've got to stop thugs clambering over war memorials".
"The Met has a lot of powers they can use, and should be using, and I'll work with colleagues to toughen the law," he said.
"Let's see those thugs dishonouring our war dead in handcuffs."
'New powers' for the Police
Home Secretary James Cleverly, who was a Territorial Army officer in the Royal Artillery, has suggested officers could be given new powers to protect war memorials.
"I'm not going to let my personal feelings cloud my judgment on this, but it is clearly wrong and the police have said that they recognise it is deeply disrespectful for people to climb on war memorials," he told LBC.
On ITV's Good Morning Britain, he added: "We are looking at what additional powers the police may need.
"These - and the police have said this - are deeply disrespectful actions. The war memorials recognise the sacrifice people have made for our freedom, and abusing, desecrating behaviour like this is deeply, deeply offensive.
"I will look at what further measures need to be taken so the police can take action on this.
"I have no doubt the vast majority of the British population, and indeed I suspect the vast majority of people in those marches, would find that behaviour completely unacceptable and they would want us to give the police the power to take action.
"I'll be looking at that as part of my new job."
Police response
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley pointed out how arresting protesters for climbing on a war memorial would have been illegal.
Sir Mark said the move by the demonstrators had been "unfortunate" and "inflammatory in certain ways" but was not against the law.
Police officers must be able to enforce the law impartially rather than "pandering to public opinion", he told an Institute for Government event.
Asked about the police response, Sir Mark replied: "What the officer didn't do last night was make up a law that it's illegal to do something and do an arrest which would have been illegal, clearly."
He defended the actions of officers on the ground, describing them as sensible in the circumstances, adding: "The officers intervened, as officers often are doing, to try and de-escalate risk of conflict, even when there isn’t explicit power to do it."
The commissioner suggested that there are elements of current police powers which "do not work very well" and that the Met would be discussing these with the Government.
But wider issues, like the balance between the right to protest and the impact it may have on others, are a matter for Parliament, he said.
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