March 3, 2020 9.51 am This story is over 48 months old

Half of Lincolnshire Police-attended protests were climate related in 2019

Officers attended 28 protest events in 2019
Extinction Rebellion Lincolnshire campaigners. Picture: Daniel Jaines.

Almost half of all Lincolnshire Police-attended protests last year were Extinction Rebellion or climate change events.

A Freedom of Information request to the force shows that in 2019 almost 148 officers were assigned to 28 protest events, of which 24 were held within the county, and four were in Humberside or London.

Of those, 81 officers were called on to stand guard over 14 events organised by Extinction Rebellion or other climate change groups – the majority being PCSOs.

Data from the FOI shows 28 protest events were attended by police in 2019.

Almost 25 officers, including an inspector, three sergeants and 21 police constables, travelled to London in April to attend an XR event which saw 10 days of protests, blockades and disruption across the capital.

In contrast,  14 officers , including two sergeants and 12 police constables, stood guard over US President Donald Trump’s visit in June.

In total, 43 staff were sent to XR events in London and Humberside throughout the year.

In Lincolnshire, the highest numbers of officers attending single events were immigration protests at Morton Hall detention centre, with 13 officers attending in March and 10 in October.

Protestors outside Morton detention centre.

Some 38 officers were called on to attend climate change-related events over the course of the year in Lincolnshire.

Other topics covered by protestors included hunting, saving Marks and Spencer in Boston, Brexit, calls for Siemen’s to keep jobs local and a demo against prorogation of Parliament.

A request for the costs associated with officer attendance at protest events was rejected due to the cost of the time it would take for officers to go through the forces financial records and salaries.

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