Independent UK: Fear of anarchist threat grows as countdown to London 2012 begins

[marmar]

Organisers of next year's Olympics believe there is a greater threat of disruption to the Games from anarchist protesters than Islamist terrorism, The Independent on Sunday has learned.

Boris Johnson and Lord Coe, the chairman of London 2012's organising committee, will mark one year to go to the opening ceremony on Wednesday at an event in Trafalgar Square. But planners are braced for widespread disruption to transport, security and the sporting events themselves by groups such as UK Uncut, which led the student-fees protests last year.

Olympics sources say the Games are a likely target for anarchists because of the heavy corporate sponsorship of the events – firms including Lloyds TSB, Adidas, British Airways, BT, Deloitte and EDF are paying a total of £1.4bn – and insiders fear that specially designated traffic lanes for dignitaries on roads leading into the Olympic Village at Stratford, east London, could be blocked by UK Uncut "flash mobs".

Earlier this month the terror threat to the UK was lowered from "severe" to "substantial". While there remains a "strong possibility" of an attack from militant Islamists, police resources have shifted towards anarchists and anti-government movements after the series of anti-cuts protests on the streets of London, and elsewhere in Britain, over the past 12 months, including the attack on the car carrying the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall. ................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/fear-of-anarchist-threat-grows-as-countdown-to-london-2012-begins-2319565.html

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. "anarchist threat" means blocking the traffic lanes reserved for dignataries, then

Oh no, it'll be the end of civilisation. :eyes:

[Ghost Dog]

2. Well, this sort of thing is presumably what police infiltrators

will be urging protesters to do.