Anger of Thatcher's loyal press aide as he damns 'conniving' funeral security chief who said 'It is not our job to uphold respect'
The police commander in charge of
Margaret Thatcher’s funeral on Wednesday has provoked outrage by
condoning disrespectful demonstrations planned outside the ceremony.
Metropolitan Police commander Christine Jones is also facing criticism for encouraging protesters to contact police if they want to stage demonstrations.
Last night Baroness Thatcher’s former press secretary Sir Bernard Ingham said the force was ‘conniving at a display of bad taste’.
Ms Jones, who masterminded
security for the Royal Wedding, told The Mail on Sunday: ‘We are not
there to uphold respect, we are there to uphold the law.
‘If people want to come up to London and protest at the funeral then they will be allowed to do so. It’s a balancing act between the right to protest and people’s safety. If the line into criminality is crossed then we will intervene.
‘Ultimately it is a judgment call by the officer. If they feel a Section Five offence is taking place, – that is, there is a distress, harassment or alarm – then they will do something about it.
‘London is an international city and if people want to come and protest lawfully then they have the right to.
‘It will depend on what they want to do. Primarily this is a funeral. If it was a day of protest if would have a different context. We have to balance it on the safety of members of the public.
‘We have been messaging out repeatedly for people to get in touch with us if they wish to protest. Some of them have and some have not. We cannot force people to do what they don’t want to.’
Sir Bernard said of Ms Jones’s
remarks: ‘The police are conniving at a display of bad taste, the plain
fact is that we know exactly what these Left and anarchist groups do –
they break convention and they enjoy doing it.
‘I’m absolutely certain there will be people who take great offence and are deeply upset by these protests because they don’t think it is the way to behave.’
A Cabinet Minister who did not wish to be named added: ‘These comments are most unfortunate. It is the job of the police to ensure that people behave in an appropriate way at a funeral such as this.’
Lady Thatcher’s former spokesman Lord Bell said: ‘Surely, the role of the police is to uphold respect for the law.’
Brian Paddick, a former Deputy Assistant Commissioner at Scotland Yard, added: ‘It’s an unfortunate choice of words.
‘I think it is unwise to say that. I understand the conciliatory approach and about upholding people’s legal right to protest, but in these circumstances that right to protest should be out of sight and out of hearing of the funeral procession route.’
Anarchist Ian Bone said he had been approached by the police’s ‘protest facilitation unit’ and asked if he wished to hold a protest on Wednesday.
Bone, who last night staged a performance in Trafalgar Square in which he cut down an effigy of Margaret Thatcher and played football with its head, said: ‘Scotland Yard got in touch to ask me if I wanted help organising a protest against the funeral.
‘I suppose I must be on a list of people to contact. I don’t plan on organising anything but if I did I certainly wouldn’t have informed them first.’
Several protests are planned for the funeral, including a fancy dress party outside the cathedral and a colliery brass band that intends to perform outside the cathedral.
Dominic Francis, a student at Ruskin College, Oxford, has organised a demonstration for protesters to turn their back on the cortege as it passes.
The 25-year-old said: ‘I support that her mourners should be allowed to grieve in peace. But when they decided to hold a State-funded, large ceremony like that, they open themselves up to public criticism.’
Metropolitan Police commander Christine Jones is also facing criticism for encouraging protesters to contact police if they want to stage demonstrations.
Last night Baroness Thatcher’s former press secretary Sir Bernard Ingham said the force was ‘conniving at a display of bad taste’.
Preparations are underway near St Paul's
Cathedral ahead of the funeral of Baroness Margaret Thatcher. The police
commander in charge of the funeral on Wednesday has condoned
demonstrations planned outside the ceremony
‘If people want to come up to London and protest at the funeral then they will be allowed to do so. It’s a balancing act between the right to protest and people’s safety. If the line into criminality is crossed then we will intervene.
‘Ultimately it is a judgment call by the officer. If they feel a Section Five offence is taking place, – that is, there is a distress, harassment or alarm – then they will do something about it.
‘London is an international city and if people want to come and protest lawfully then they have the right to.
‘It will depend on what they want to do. Primarily this is a funeral. If it was a day of protest if would have a different context. We have to balance it on the safety of members of the public.
‘We have been messaging out repeatedly for people to get in touch with us if they wish to protest. Some of them have and some have not. We cannot force people to do what they don’t want to.’
Former Government spokesman Sir Bernard Ingham
(pictured in July 2003, at the chapel in the Royal Hospital in Chelsea,
west London, for the funeral of Sir Denis Thatcher) said the force was
'conniving at a display of bad taste'
‘I’m absolutely certain there will be people who take great offence and are deeply upset by these protests because they don’t think it is the way to behave.’
A Cabinet Minister who did not wish to be named added: ‘These comments are most unfortunate. It is the job of the police to ensure that people behave in an appropriate way at a funeral such as this.’
Lady Thatcher’s former spokesman Lord Bell said: ‘Surely, the role of the police is to uphold respect for the law.’
Brian Paddick, a former Deputy Assistant Commissioner at Scotland Yard, added: ‘It’s an unfortunate choice of words.
‘I think it is unwise to say that. I understand the conciliatory approach and about upholding people’s legal right to protest, but in these circumstances that right to protest should be out of sight and out of hearing of the funeral procession route.’
Anarchist Ian Bone said he had been approached by the police’s ‘protest facilitation unit’ and asked if he wished to hold a protest on Wednesday.
Bone, who last night staged a performance in Trafalgar Square in which he cut down an effigy of Margaret Thatcher and played football with its head, said: ‘Scotland Yard got in touch to ask me if I wanted help organising a protest against the funeral.
‘I suppose I must be on a list of people to contact. I don’t plan on organising anything but if I did I certainly wouldn’t have informed them first.’
Several protests are planned for the funeral, including a fancy dress party outside the cathedral and a colliery brass band that intends to perform outside the cathedral.
Dominic Francis, a student at Ruskin College, Oxford, has organised a demonstration for protesters to turn their back on the cortege as it passes.
The 25-year-old said: ‘I support that her mourners should be allowed to grieve in peace. But when they decided to hold a State-funded, large ceremony like that, they open themselves up to public criticism.’
