UK: Shop keepers and home owners board up their properties as London prepares for Europe's biggest street party -- the Notting Hill Carnival -- just two weeks after riots swept English cities

Record ID: 260975

  • Title: UK: Shop keepers and home owners board up their properties as London prepares for Europe's biggest street party -- the Notting Hill Carnival -- just two weeks after riots swept English cities
  • Date: 27th August 2011
  • Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (RECENT - AUGUST 23, 2011) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) METROPOLITAN POLICE COMMANDER STEVE RODHOUSE, SAYING: "Our plan is to try and stop people attending the event who want to cause trouble and that's why our Operation Razorback is a successful operation plan. It means we arrest people well before the event to prevent any trouble. Equally we'll be
  • Embargoed: 11th September 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: United Kingdom
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Arts,People,Lifestyle
  • Reuters ID: LVA9UHSRD4K17FICQGMXP95AEWAO
  • Story Text: After the wave of riots in England earlier this month a shadow hangs over this year's Notting Hill Carnival which will see a million people throng to west London for one of Europe's largest street parties this Sunday and Monday (August 28 and 29).
    There will be record police presence at the carnival, with around 10 thousand officers on duty over each of the the two days in attempt to prevent scenes of widescale violence and looting which occurred two weeks ago in the capital and other cities.
    The decision to hold the event had hung in the balance after the worst riots in decades shocked the country and drew a tough response to the disorder from the government.
    Determined the heavy policing won't spoil the fun, London's mayor, Boris Johnson posed with scantily-clad and brightly painted carnival dancers to highlight the festivities.
    "It's one of the great international events, it's something that attracts people to London. It's right that it should go ahead, the city hasn't been beaten by what happened two weeks ago, We are going to show that we can get on and hold a fantastic party. Of course it is going to be robustly policed and that is the crucial thing," said Johnson.
    On the Sunday five and a half thousand officers will be on duty at the carnival, with an additional four thousand bought in from other forces to supplement policing in other areas of London. On the Monday there will be six and a half thousand at carnival and again the additional four thousand elsewhere.
    Police intelligence has picked up signs that there may be some gangs either looking to target carnival or other areas of London in the hope that they will be left vulnerable to crime due to heavy concentration of officers at the carnival. All police leave has been cancelled.
    Police have been conducting raids on people suspected of wanting to cause trouble and arresting people ahead of the carnival in what they call Operation Razorback.
    "Our plan is to try and stop people attending the event who want to cause trouble and that's why our Operation Razorback is a successful operation plan. It means we arrest people well before the event to prevent any trouble. Equally we'll be deploying officers across London to track and deal with anyone we believe is going to create trouble at the event, preventing them from being there," said Commander Steve Rodhouse.
    The parade is ending an hour earlier this year at 7pm and pubs and clubs in the carnival area, like on the famous Portobello Road, have been asked by police to close between 7pm and 9pm, to ensure the festivities end before nightfall.
    The Notting Hill Carnival, a celebration of Caribbean culture has been going since 1964 and it has grown year on year. It is now a globally known event, attracting people from all cultures.
    Local people are worried the huge event might attract trouble-makers from outside the local area. One steel drum player, Jerome Fox, who was cheering up Portobello Road on a grey and rainy Friday (August 28) warned rioters to stay away.
    "To come and spoil the little party that wouldn't be nice. So I just hope they don't come and cause any trouble. If they have come to cause trouble I think they should stay at home," he said.
    Locals have to put up with drunkenness and debris during carnival weekend and many always do board up their properties, but this year more houses and shops than normal have put boards up fearing rioting may flare.
    Emmanuel de Silva, born and bred in Notting Hill, was a little boy at the very first carnival. He is angry that rioters threaten to hijack the event.
    "My message to people is like, 'Why are you choosing carnival to do this? You've already ruined cities all over - London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and you've made your point. You've gone and grabbed what you needed to grab.' We all know that people are suffering and that there's a depression, but this is not the place to do it. We come here to enjoy ourselves and celebrate freedom," de Silva said.
    People who take part in the event are cross that the carnival is being linked with the threat of riots simply because it is the first major public event since violence flared across the capital two weeks ago.
    Clarysa Landy is Artistic Director for the group Mahogany, which take part in the parade.
    "I think everybody wants to see carnival to be the best it can be, this the year before the Olympics and I think that's exactly what it will be. I don't think there's a link between what went on before and what and what will happen at the weekend," she said.
    The potential for violence has sparked some people to call for the carnival to be cancelled, but organisers said the majority of Londoners are more determined than ever that the recent riots shouldn't spoil the weekend.
    "This year we actually had more people contacting us to say that carnival should go ahead. Groups, organisations, individuals were saying 'You must not stop carnival because otherwise it is going to send out completely the wrong signal. It is going to say to those people, like the looters, that we have to change what London does because of you.' People have been talking about reclaiming the streets this year in a positive way," said Director of Notting Hill Carnival Limited, Chris Boothman.
    The policing of the Notting Hill Carnival will be a major test for the Metropolitan Police Service, not only to boost their reputation after criticism of handling of the recent riots, but also to prove to the world that London is capable of managing large-scale events, just one year before it hosts the 2012 Olympics
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