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Justin Tallis / AFP - Getty Images
British Home Secretary Theresa May speaks at the Olympic and Paralympic Security Conference at The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London Wednesday.
LONDON -- A range of security challenges threaten London’s 2012 Olympics from Islamic extremist and right-wing terrorists to cybercriminals and “encampment style protests,” Home Secretary Theresa May said Wednesday.
The British government has strengthened its policies toward Occupy-style protests ahead of the games, May told a conference on security in London.
May also called on organizers to ban tents and related equipment from games venues, and advocated a “rapid follow-up action by the police … using all available powers to remove encampments and equipment” if protesters did get through.
Anti-capitalists protesters have been camped outside London's St Paul's Cathedral since October as part of the international movement inspired by the Occupy Wall Street protest.
“I have stressed to the police that they must act swiftly in support of London 2012 organizers … should the receive a complaint (of an Occupy-style protest),” she said at a conference organized by defense think tank RUSI.
Attractive target
Four billion around the world were expected to watch the Olympics on television, making it an attractive target for terrorists and protesters.
Scotland Yard and the Royal marines teamed up in a show of strength against terrorists who might target the Olympics, practiced high speed drills using helicopters and boats on the River Thames.
Despite the May’s comments, the police “had no plans whatsoever” to stop legal protests, Commander Richard Morris of London's Metropolitan Police said.
The threat of “aggressive camping” was one of the new and evolving threats to Olympic security, Professor Michael Clarke, RUSI’s director-general said.
The games will see the U.K.’s largest peacetime security operation and involve tens of thousands of security officials, with 13,500 military personnel, 12,000 police and 10,000 private contractors.
Assistant Commissioner Chris Allison of the UK Metropolitan Police will head up the security effort for the 2012 Olympics in London. He says the games will be the UK's largest peacetime security operation in the nation's history.
Al-Qaida and related jihadi groups, right-wing extremists and Northern Irish militants are also a threat, Robert Raine, the director of Olympic safety and security for the Home Office, said.
Dow Chemical sees more bad Olympics publicity
The issue of security is particularly relevant one to Olympics organizers. The decision to award the Olympics to London was announced on July 6, 2005. Just a day later, London suffered its worst peacetime attack when four suicide bombers killed 52 commuters.
The U.K.’s alert level is expected to be raised to “severe” during the games, meaning that an attack is considered to be highly likely, officials said.
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Dude, is that lady (British Home Secretary Theresa May) farting in that picture? What's up with her face?
LOL. I was about to post something sarcastic to the effect of "That lady doesn't look British at all".
But alas, you beat me to it.
deleted, my computer wasn't working, posted multiple times,
deleted, my computer wasn't working, posted multiple times,
While I am not a fan of Occupy, a protest conducted by Occupy is a lot more desirable than a protest by AQ. Occupy would hangout, disrupt and promote their agenda-less agenda. AQ would take hostages, blow up innocents and cut the heads off captive civilians. Actually, AQ is fairly impotent except for the Yemen and Somalia franchises. I think Iran backed Hezbollah or Hamas is more of a threat at the Olympics.
sorry for the posts above, damn computers
Better watch out for those killer tents, they will get you...
Yes. The violence can be "in-tents". Don't take it lightly.
Maybe not their tents...but certainly their poop. You never know where that stuff is going.
Disrupting things like the Olympics always struck me as selfish. Athletes train for years, usually at their own expense, just to compete. Why ruin it for them just so you can make some political statement, violent or otherwise?
Muslims don't make political statements but rather religious jihad.
"Muslims don't make political statements but rather religious jihad."
More danger of Irish terrorism in the UK
Actually Vier, the UK is loaded with Muslims as the have been letting Pakistanis, Arabs and African immigrants in at an incredible rate.
Dont forget that there are also white terrrorists/jihadists who have been trained by those from Morrocco, France, and other areas. Dont just look for the dark skinned terrorist and yes...they do like tents.
Unless you're talking about the IRA, I don't know what you're talking about.
The London Olympics have the potential to be the most dangerous Olympics since Munich. So much crap going on all over the world and the whole economic thing in Europe. The authorities will be looking so hard at Islamic Terrorism they may miss some other crazy euro groupe that is pissed off about austerity measures or some other issue. I have a bad feeling about this....
Don't worry, two bobbies on bikes will sort them all out.
soo many islamic radicals that openly advocate jihad and overthrow of the brittish government.....that are brittish, and live in east end and throughout G.B.
security has to be the tightest on the planet during the games. no telling the operations MI5 have going on right now to secure the games.
OWS/UK ? (didnt know the UK had a wall street)
Considering the number of radical Muslims in Briton it will be a problem. The OWS/Anarchists are the least of the worries and will go away with a swift baton to the head.
A tent is a very easy place to hide a very large bomb. Probably best to avoid London during the Olympics, as we certainly do not want to interfere with a terrorists God given right to put up a tent and blow up innocent civilians.
While you always have fear for a "lone gunman" type of operation.When I hear stories of massive security,people being controlled,banning this or that.I think that the world is slowly being turned into a garrison state.That, looking at the worlds problems and coming to address real grievances,is the answer instead that leaders should be working on.
This is one messed up world when there needs to be tens of thousands of security for the Olympics..
I would think the best route for HMG to follow would be to allow Occupy "Mic Checks" and flyer distribution under a banner, but with all those people, another tent city would be disruptive in and of itself. Let citizens of other nations see the freedom of expression existing within a Constitutional Monarchy under a democratically elected parliament, and Britain looks like it's handling the world wide economic disaster in an adult manner.
For Occupy to force the issue and try to squat a tentopolis would kill any public support. I ask both HMG and OSX to negotiate and let the security services concentrate on possible terrorism threats.
Poor England. They took a beating in the 20th century, between WWI and WWII, then the drug culture of the 60s cost them practically a whole generation. Now their country is being completely taken over from the inside by all the Muslim immigrants they let in. Almost seems like no hope.
While I am not a fan of Occupy, a protest conducted by Occupy is a lot more desirable than a protest by AQ. Occupy would hangout, disrupt and promote their agenda-less agenda. AQ would take hostages, blow up innocents and cut the heads off captive civilians. Actually, AQ is fairly impotent except for the Yemen and Somalia franchises. I think Iran backed Hezbollah or Hamas is more of a threat at the Olympics.
While I am not a fan of Occupy, a protest conducted by Occupy is a lot more desirable than a protest by AQ. Occupy would hangout, disrupt and promote their agenda-less agenda. AQ would take hostages, blow up innocents and cut the heads off captive civilians. Actually, AQ is fairly impotent except for the Yemen and Somalia franchises. I think Iran backed Hezbollah or Hamas is more of a threat at the Olympics.
Unbelievable -
I think you need to check your history and lost a generation to drugs in the 60s? Please!!!
Whilst England has plenty of drugs now, the 60s were pretty drug-free in comparrison.
As for being overrun with muslims? They make up a tiny, if vocal, proportion the population (less than 3 million).
Did I insult your '60s sensibility? Do your research. All those "English invasion" rockers and everyone connected with them (and there were alot. It was something practically every young guy in England got involved with in the early '60s-black American blues). Some really sad stories, like the guy who started Pink Floyd. He went berserk from LSD. Some big shot's daughter being hooked on heroin with Eric Clapton, and ODing. There are so many stories like that. It got so bad the govt tried giving out heroin, some program. If you're English I apologize. I really am rooting for (you?-the country) to make a comeback.
Why would AL-Qaida be interested in bombing the olympics?
They are interested in killing innocent civilians in a high profile setting. The Olympics are exactly what they want. Remember Black Sunday and the terrorists who grabbed Israeli athletes and killed them. It's the stage they want.
Lol, Hi Unbeliveable, I am English and certainly not insulted, my point is that, whilst my county may have produced a lot of drug fiend rock stars, the Country itself wasn't awash with drugs in the 60s - much worse now, sadly, with crack.
But thank you for rooting for my Country.
Hopefully, the games will go off without a hitch - it will still rain though!!
Will an umbrella count as a partial tent, and therefore be banned, or will there be some specific qualification denoting what a tent will consist of??
Unfortunately for occupy style protests, they are easy to hijack. It would be so easy for Jihadists to mingle in with a occupy crowd, get close as possible to the venue, and BOOM.
Ironically killing the people most likely to promote a end to middle eastern meddling in the future.
I support Occupy, but I understand what GB is doing here. Homeless people are one thing, Haji's are entirely another.
The Coleman tents are ravenous. If they mingle with Coleman lanterns, it could be a threat level 1.