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Three thousand riot officers readied for weekend of protests in England and Wales
Three thousand riot officers readied for weekend of protests in England and Wales

The Guardian

time08-08-2025

  • Politics
  • The Guardian

Three thousand riot officers readied for weekend of protests in England and Wales

Three thousand riot officers will be deployed and placed on standby amid concerns a string of anti-asylum seeker protests and counter-protests this weekend could lead to violence and disorder. Police commanders at a national level have made the decision. It is the first time since last summer's riots that there has been a mass and national standing up of specialist public order officers. Some of the extra riot officers will be deployed on the streets, kitted out in helmets and shields to act as a deterrent. Others will be held in reserve and all will be on standby to be rushed across England and Wales to 'hotspots' of violence and rising tension, a police source with knowledge of the planning for this weekend said. The same source stressed there was no specific intelligence of violence, but 800 extra riot officers were ordered to be made ready on Friday, on top of the 2,200 planned already. At least 20 protests targeting hotels used by the government to house asylum seekers are thought possible this weekend, with each one in turn potentially attracting a counter-protest. One senior officer in an area expecting protest said: 'It is impossible to tell what you are going to get. 'Within crowds you can get different factions, concerned locals, bystanders, extremists.' Officers will need to keep both sides apart as well as ensure disruption is kept to a minimum for the vast majority of people in the areas affected. The 3,000 riot officers have been requested from local forces and will be directed by the National Police Operations Centre. Local commanders will make decisions about specific deployments. In some areas public order officers may deploy in full riot gear from the start to act as a deterrent, other forces will prefer to have officers in regular uniforms, so called 'soft hats', to start with, with fully kitted riot officers in reserve and close by if trouble erupts. The far right is pushing some if not most of the protest but those attending are expected to also include local people left concerned by claims linking asylum seeker hotels to serious crime. Police public order resources this weekend face a pincer movement from right and left. The Metropolitan police, which covers Britain's protest capital of London, is calling in support from other forces as it faces three days of substantial public order challenges. It thinks it unlikely many will turn out to an anti-migrant protest in Islington, north London, on Friday night, more are expected at another in Canary Wharf on Sunday. On Saturday in central London there is a pro-Palestine march, as well as a protest where those who support Palestine Action or oppose the ban on it under terrorism laws, are being encouraged to dare police to arrest them. Organisers and police sources agree privately hundreds are likely to turn up, the range likely to be 200 to just under 1,000, encouraged to hold placards containing the words 'I support Palestine action', which police say will lead to arrest. Organisers hope to stretch to breaking point the police and criminal justice system's ability to deal with a mass defiance. Police believe they will manage unless the numbers exceed expectations. In London, small groups of protesters started to gather from about 5pm on Friday across the road from the Britannia International hotel in Canary Wharf. Riot police scrambled to keep groups of masked men who broke away from the anti-asylum seeker protest from reaching a separte group of anti-racism activists who had attempted to walk down to the Britannia hotel from Heron Quay DLR station behind a banner. About 200 anti-migrant protesters – including men waving St George's flags and an Israeli flag some of whom were supporters of the far-right activist known as Tommy Robinson – had gathered across the road from the hotel, with some hurling abuse at a Stand Up to Racism protest of about 100 activists, trade unionists and others. Police kept a distance but vans with public order officers were also stationed in streets nearby. On Sunday in London, there will be a march in support of the release of hostages taken from Israel by Hamas in the 7 October 2023 attack, as well as football's Community Shield match, with that and the start of football's lower divisions this weekend further requiring police public order resources. Metropolitan police deputy assistant commissioner Ade Adelekan, who will lead the policing operation, warned people who want to protest against the banning of Palestine Action that they should expect a terrorism charge: 'What sets this protest apart from others is participants are coming out not just to express a view, but with the aim of being arrested in very large numbers to place a strain on the police and the wider criminal justice system. 'We will have the resources and processes in place to respond to any eventuality. 'Anyone showing support for Palestine Action can expect to be arrested. I would once again urge people to consider the seriousness of that outcome. An arrest under the Terrorism Act can have very real long-term implications – from travel, to employment, to finances. Also, as we have seen this week, it is very likely an arrest in these circumstances will lead to a charge.' There was some unease in Nuneaton on Friday afternoon, before what is expected to be a big turnout at a protest outside the council building on Saturday. The Warwickshire town has become a target for far-right activists in recent days, after two Afghan men were arrested on suspicion of kidnapping and raping a 12-year-old girl. They have now been charged in relation to the alleged incident. The Reform UK council leader, 19-year-old George Finch, accused the police of covering up the claim that the men, Ahmad Mulakhil and Mohammad Kabir, are asylum seekers. On social media, local people and far-right agitators expressed anger that the town was a home for asylum seekers, with Facebook groups popping up including 'Nuneaton says No!', which was created by Tom Huburn-King, a founding member and regional organiser for the far-right Homeland party. A group of retired women sitting outside a cafe said they supported the protest. 'I think it's good … They're only protecting the children. That's all they're doing,' said one woman, who had lived in Nuneaton all her life and would not give her name because 'you can't have an opinion because you'll get locked up'. She said: 'I don't really take a lot of notice but when the children start getting raped, there's a limit.' Warwickshire's police chief constable, Alex Franklin-Smith, took the unusual step of publishing a letter to Finch on Wednesday, writing that the police had asked the Home Office to confirm the immigration status of the two men accused in connection with the alleged rape, and 'did not and will not cover up such criminality'. Care workers Chijioke 'CJ' Ani and Musa Samson, both originally from Nigeria, had also heard about the protest. Were they concerned about it? 'Of course I am, because you don't know what will come out of it,' Ani said, adding that he would go to work and go home and not stay in the town on Saturday. He said he had seen a lot of anti-immigration sentiment on social media. 'Some of them are misinformed or acting out of impulse,' he said. 'It makes me feel like someone will attack me some day, if I'm walking down the road. It's definitely getting worse because the far right are getting stronger.' While the men, originally from Nigeria, had found Nuneaton to be a friendly town, they had initially been worried about their safety, arriving from London to a whiter area, 'but I'm used to it now', Ani said. Samson said he had experienced some racism, with men making noises at him as he approached a local bar. 'It's one of those things,' he said. Most people the Guardian spoke to in Nuneaton said they would be avoiding the town centre, with many saying they did not agree with the protesters, though they thought people should be able to protest. Lawrence McIntyre was serving teas and coffees from The Kiosk in the centre of the town. He was worried nobody would go into the town centre on Saturday and that he would have no customers. 'I do feel sorry if it does put people off coming down shopping. The market traders and the small businesses, they rely on [customers].' He said there had been plenty of diversity in the town for a long time and it had not been a problem until now. 'There's good and bad everywhere, not just in Nuneaton, wherever you are.'

IDF to reduce reserve call-up orders following large drafts of non-essential roles
IDF to reduce reserve call-up orders following large drafts of non-essential roles

Yahoo

time27-07-2025

  • Politics
  • Yahoo

IDF to reduce reserve call-up orders following large drafts of non-essential roles

The directive comes amid growing internal and public complaints that administrative and rear-echelon reservists were being called up without taking part in meaningful assignments. IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir instructed a significant reduction in the use of emergency reserve call-up orders, known as Tzav 8, on Sunday, following criticism that large numbers of reservists were being mobilized for non-essential roles. The directive comes amid growing internal and public complaints that administrative and rear-echelon reservists were being called up without joining operational units or taking part in meaningful assignments. At the onset of the war, the IDF activated hundreds of thousands of reservists via Tzav 8 to meet combat demands across multiple fronts. Although the intensity of fighting has since declined, the IDF continued issuing such orders, including open-ended formats that kept reservists on short-notice standby and part-time duty models that allowed reservists to continue working civilian jobs while fulfilling non-combat service. Sources in the military told Walla the indiscriminate use of Tzav 8 had raised concerns over wasteful manpower practices and a lack of oversight. In some units, reservists were issued repeated call-up orders for roles described by critics as redundant. In recent weeks, Zamir moved to restrict the quota of Tzav 8 orders available to regional commands, military branches, and corps. He also instructed senior commanders to improve tracking and accountability of reserve personnel across all units. At the same time, Maj.-Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa, head of the IDF's Manpower Directorate, ordered a parallel cut in reserve mobilizations in response to operational assessments from the various theaters of conflict. New mandatory daily report will track reservist's location To strengthen oversight, Kalifa introduced a mandatory daily report, dubbed Form 1, which will track each reservist's location, whether at home, on base, or in transit. The Manpower Directorate is expected to begin field inspections in the coming days to verify the reports and ensure units are complying with the updated procedures. Military sources estimated that the changes will result in a substantial drop in the number of reserve call-ups and lead to major cost savings. 'These adjustments were made in response to troubling patterns and insufficient oversight of manpower distribution across units,' one officer said. Solve the daily Crossword

Army will look for false accusations, consider ‘credibility' in misconduct cases
Army will look for false accusations, consider ‘credibility' in misconduct cases

Yahoo

time18-07-2025

  • Politics
  • Yahoo

Army will look for false accusations, consider ‘credibility' in misconduct cases

The Army has made changes in how it investigates misconduct allegations with new rules that may muddy the waters for soldiers making anonymous reports of misconduct like toxic leadership or hazing, former military lawyers warned. The updated rules also stop the flagging of an accused soldier's personnel record in advance of an investigation, which could delay career progression, and introduce punishments for soldiers proven to have made false accusations. The changes came in a June update to the Army's 15-6 regulation, which governs the process for investigating military-related misconduct like sexual harassment, toxic leadership, adultery, fraternization, cruelty and maltreatment of subordinates, violation of orders and regulations, misuse of government resources, and hazing. The new regulation introduces several new terms that add new processes or concepts into the framework of a 15-6 investigation. Those investigations can lead to administrative punishments or more serious Uniformed Code of Military Justice proceedings that result in discharges or rank and grade demotions. An Army official told Task & Purpose that the goal is to reduce the number of 15-6 investigations and 'clarify' for commanders, especially for junior officers, that there are other processes — like a memorandum for records — they are encouraged to use for 'everyday friction' within their command and when there's not 'sufficient evidence.' The regulation changes follow an April 23 memo from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, that ordered changes to the investigation process and including new terminology used verbatim in the new Army regulation. Hegseth referred to it as the 'No More Walking On Eggshells Policy,' in a video posted to X on April 25. 'Too often at the Defense Department, there are complaints made for certain reasons that can't be verified that end people's career, either through [Equal Opportunity] or the [Inspector General]. We need to reform that process completely so commanders can be commanders,' Hegseth said in the video. 'Credible evidence' The largest change to the 15-6 investigation process is the addition of a new 'credibility' review at the early stage of some complaints. Traditionally, an Army 15-6 investigation had three fact-finding or evidence-gathering phases: preliminary inquiries, administrative investigations and boards of officers. The new regulation now lays out an additional phase, called a 'credibility assessment,' which would precede the three other phases, and possibly short-circuit the full investigation. The regulation states that officials receiving the complaint should initially review 'to determine if sufficient credible information exists to warrant further fact-finding or evidence-gathering.' The assessment is based on language used in Hegseth's memo, for 'credible' evidence or information which is defined as 'attributable or corroborated information,' that considers 'the original source, the nature of the information, and the totality of the circumstances' to determine if it is 'sufficient' for investigators to pursue an inquiry. Rachel VanLandingham, a former Air Force lawyer, said information needing to be 'corroborated' or 'attributed' could mean that an anonymous report will not be sufficient enough to 'trigger' a 15-6 investigation. She said this could impact inquiries into hostile work environments because of toxic leaders. 'You need anonymous complaints because people are afraid of their commanders and if their commanders are retributive and hostile and toxic, you're not going to leave your name,' VanLandingham said. 'If you have a bunch of folks in a unit that are really afraid of their commander, they don't want to say anything so they leave a bunch of anonymous complaints that's not corroborated and that's not attributable to anybody. But damn straight, the higher level commander — when he's got 10 of these — should be investigating.' The Army official said that not knowing the source prevents investigators from asking follow-up questions and that a 'vague anonymous complaint' is 'probably not actionable' because investigators cannot ask follow-up questions that would establish credibility. False accusations Hegseth's memo also called for 'disciplinary actions against personnel who knowingly submit false complaints,' a topic which now has its own new section in the Army 15-6 manual. According to the new language, soldiers can face punitive measures for 'knowingly' or 'repeatedly' submitting false and 'frivolous' allegations that could trigger investigations. The manual defines frivolous allegations as those 'that a reasonable person knows has no merit,' and which were made for 'an unreasonable purpose' like harassment. Military justice lawyers told Task & Purpose the focus on punishing accusations deemed as false could have a chilling effect on victims of sexual harassment coming forward. Under current rules, formal reports of sexual harassment cannot be made anonymously. Four former military lawyers told Task & Purpose that proving a false allegation would require a high standard of proof, which makes the new rule appear to be more of a message to discourage reports than an actual enforcement mechanism. Barb Snow, a former active duty and Reserve Army jag officer for 11 years, pointed out that making false official statements is already an offense under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. 'Making the AR-15-6 process a quasi-criminal offense investigation process' will dissuade troops from coming forward, she said. Retired Col. Don Christensen, former chief prosecutor for the Air Force and the former president for Protect Our Defenders, said the new language reflects an ongoing conversation within military circles around sexual harassment. He said he worries that victims will fear punishment, and retaliation for a report that isn't substantiated with enough evidence to pursue legal or administrative actions. 'My biggest concern isn't so much that people will be prosecuted for it, but that it will chill people from coming forward,' Christensen said. 'There's always been this, I would say undercurrent, of people in the military who very much want to punish, particularly women who come forward, and if that doesn't result in a conviction, then they immediately label it a false allegation. There's a huge difference between being able to get a conviction and something being false.' No more flagging Under the new rules, soldiers can still find their personnel records 'flagged' during the formal evidence-gathering phase of a 15-6 investigation, which soldiers have long complained can impact promotions or delay base moves. But during a credibility assessment, soldiers will not be flagged. Daniel Conway, a former Marine staff sergeant and captain who currently represents service members at military trials, said flagging can be 'really disruptive' because it can interrupt deployments or assignments. 'If you're a command sergeant major and you get accused of making inappropriate comments, you wind up with a 15-6,' he said. 'It takes four, five, six months. You've now been rendered pretty much useless to the Army for half a year.' Conway said he thinks the changes will cut down the number of 15-6 investigations for more minor issues. 'Being in San Antonio, we have a training command here with drill sergeants, and I'm constantly over the years representing drill sergeants who are being subjected to 15-6 investigations on frivolous complaints from trainees — really the most minor of stuff.' Robert Capovilla, a former Army lawyer who currently represents troops in military cases, said the changes will be most relevant for sexual harassment cases where 'the allegation itself ends that soldier's career.' 'The dirty secret of military justice is, a lot of these people who are flagged for prolonged periods of time, even if they end up winning their case, the damage to their career is irreversible,' Capovilla said. The regulation states that the Army will appoint specially trained investigative officers outside the chain of command of the reporter and subject to handle administrative investigations of formal sexual harassment complaints. Capovilla called it a welcome change. 'We've seen untrained investigating officers who do not understand the definition of sexual harassment come back and almost universally conclude that sexual harassment occurred,' he said. 'Then those soldiers and airmen and Marines and everything are facing separation boards or boards of inquiry based on nothing but an amateur investigation that was done by somebody who didn't even understand what they were doing.' The latest on Task & Purpose Operation Midnight Hammer damaged, but may not have destroyed Iran's nuclear sites An Army base will now honor a Buffalo Soldier 2 aircraft carriers, 9 destroyers, and multiple fighter wings gather in the Middle East Marines and sailors are building trenches for the drone age The Army is deactivating police units in deep cuts to number of military cops Solve the daily Crossword

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