NEWS RELEASE FROM SOUTH YORKSHIRE POLICE
Date: 7/6/2005
G8 Policing Plans Inc reference:
Sheffield is hosting the UK Presidency G8 Justice & Home Affairs Ministerial Meeting from 15-17th June, involving ministers from the eight G8 nations (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, United Kingdom, and United States of America).
South Yorkshire Police has the responsibility of ensuring not only that this event takes place in safety and security but also that people have the opportunity to protest within the law and that minimum disruption is caused to everyday life.
This balance is a delicate one, involving a huge amount of detailed organisation, intelligence gathering and assessment, discussion with both partners and with representatives of protest groups, meetings with local communities and others who might be affected by the event.
If we are to discharge this responsibility effectively a combination of elements must be in place: the event must take place in an orderly environment and this will necessarily involve temporary changes to routine; those wishing to protest must co-operate with the police; and powers must be available to enable police to deal with specific circumstances that experience tells us are possible.
The main meeting is taking place at the Marriott Hotel, with functions in the city centre on Wednesday 15th and Thursday 16th. As part of the arrangements for the event some limited road closures will occur at specific times, which should cause minimal disruption. Sheffield City Council and South Yorkshire Police have agreed the following road closures, which will mean that there will be no access for vehicles. These are:
Kenwood Road, adjacent to the Marriott Hotel (between the junctions of Rundle Road and Cherry Tree Road), will be closed from 10.00 am Monday 13th June until 6.00 pm Friday 17th June. Local businesses and residents have been contacted individually by South Yorkshire Police and appropriate security arrangements and screenings put in place.
The Winter Garden and Millennium Galleries will host a formal welcome reception on the evening of Wednesday 15th June. South Yorkshire Police will close several roads around the venue; Surrey Street from its junction with Norfolk Street down to Arundel Gate will close from 12 noon (there will also be limited pedestrian access), Norfolk Street will close to vehicles from 4.00pm and Arundel Gate from 5.45pm. Central Library will close at 4.00pm, access to the library from 12 noon will be via the children’s library entrance at the Arundel Gate end of Surrey Street. The Graves Art Gallery will close earlier than normal. The Winter Garden and Millennium Galleries will be closed all day on the 15th June.
The Cutlers’ Hall will host a Gala Dinner in the evening. Again several roads around the venue will close from 4.00pm onwards including Church Street, High Street, Fargate, York Street and several side roads. Supertram will be affected, terminating at Castle Square and Hanover Way for both inward and outbound journeys from 4.00pm.
Other than these limited local restrictions on these specific dates the remainder of the City Centre will operate as normal.
Our approach to dealing with protest is to achieve a balance between facilitating lawful activities (including the right to protest), protecting life and property and minimising disruption.
In terms of powers available to the police to enable this approach to work, the following will apply:
Section 13 of the Public Order Act 1986 enables police to ban marches and processions in specifies areas.
Section 14 of the same Act enables police to place conditions on public assemblies and restrictions on the locations in which they can be held.
Section 14A of the same Act enables the police to deal with protestors trespassing onto property.
We have applied to the Home Office through the city council for powers under Section 13 and 14A to be available to police from 0001 hours on Wednesday June 15th 2005 until 1800 hours on Friday June 17th 2005 and Section 14A from 1800 hours on Monday June 13th to 1800 hours on Friday June 17th 2005.
The Chief Constable will use powers under Section 14 to allow lawful protestors who co-operate with police to have the opportunity to voice their opinions. With this in mind, we are considering two protests in close proximity to the evening venues. We will limit protestor numbers to ensure a balance between the rights of the protestors and those attending the event.
Those acting unlawfully or violently will be firmly dealt with using existing police powers. The Chief Constable has the necessary resources to deal with all issues identified.
G8 MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE, SHEFFIELD
ROAD CLOSURES CITY CENTRE
WINTER GARDEN/MILLENNIUM GALLERIES
Wednesday 15th June 2005.
6am Cones placed on Surrey Street and Norfolk Street No parking and supervised deliveries 8am Enforcement of parking restriction 12 midday Restrictions imposed upon access to Tudor Square 4pm Norfolk Street closed to vehicles 5.45pm Arundel Gate closed to vehicles and pedestrian access restricted to: · Arundel Gate Car Park (access via Pond Street only) · Odeon Cinema · Sheffield Hallam University (access from Pond Street only) · Novotel limited access for guests only
CUTLERS’ HALL
Thursday 16th June 2005
6am Cones placed on St James Street, St James Row and Vicar Lane. No parking. 4pm Restricted access to Cathedral Square from St James Row, East Parade, Church Street and High Street 4pm Road Closures · Church Street junction with Leopold Street · High Street junction with Arundel Gate · Vicar Lane junction with Campo Lane · St James Row · East Parade · York Street
4pm Supertram will terminate at Castle Square and Upper Hanover Street tram stops for both inward and outward journeys. Buses will be re-routed from High Street and Church Street 5.45pm Pedestrian access restricted
· Fargate junction with Exchange Gateway · High Street junction with George Street · Leopold Street junction with Orchard Street · Norfolk Street junction with Chapel Walk
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In March 2005, the Environment Ministers met in Derby, for and earlier junket in the G8 series of meetings. As we prepare for events in Sheffield, I thought it pertinent to remind all of the imagery from that event, and what we can expect for the future:
Derby Piccys Pt1 G8 Environment ministers Meeting: http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/03/306935.html
Derby Piccys Pt2 G8 Environment ministers Meeting: http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/03/306956.html
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Yorkshire Post Article
Protests row as summit comes to city : Police accused of crackdown on marches
POLICE responsible for security at next week’s G8 summit meetings in Yorkshire are facing growing criticism from protesters who claim they will be kept away from the participants.
Paul Whitehouse
07 June 2005
http://www.yorkshiretoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=55&ArticleID=1047406
The Justice and Home Affairs ministers from the G8 countries are meeting in Sheffield from Wednesday to Friday next week, June 15-17.
The series of meetings has attracted attention from protesters who want to demonstrate against the G8 countries’ support for the war in Iraq.
But with little more than a week to go before the start of the summit, they are still waiting for South Yorkshire Police to announce what restrictions will be in place.
However, it is widely anticipated that the protesters will be kept to an area in Devonshire Green when the visiting ministers are in the city centre.
Devonshire Green is a substantial distance from the venues being used to host events in the city centre.
For years campaigners have enjoyed a positive relationship with South Yorkshire Police over the way demonstrations are organised and marshalled.
Members of Sheffield Stop the War Coalition are planning to demonstrate during the summit and chairman Lucinda Wakefield said: “Sheffield Stop the War Coalition has organised demonstrations of thousands of people – in fact the biggest protests of the last few years. On not one of those occasions has anyone come to any harm.”
A demonstration in advance of the summit will take place in the city centre on Saturday, supported by organisations including Sheffield Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Sheffield Muslim Association of Britain, Sheffield Trades Council, Stop Political Terror, Sheffield CND, Sheffield Respect and Sheffield Green Party.
Organisers hope that event will attract support of thousands of people and a route has been agreed with police, the coalition providing its own stewards.
Ms Wakefield said: “It is a great shame, therefore, that we still have no clear agreement from South Yorkshire Police for our planned protests on Wednesday at the Winter Gardens and Thursday at Cutler’s Hall..
“We want to make our voices heard to the G8 ministers, we would like to be seen by them.”
She added: “In a city where even the council voted against the war in Iraq we consider it of vital importance that we raise our voices to some of the ministers concerned.
“It is not good enough for us to be penned in on Devonshire Green where they cannot hear us. It would be an abuse of our civil liberties, and a great shame in a city that has a proud record of standing up for peace and justice.
“We are currently seeking legal advice on this possible ban, which does not even seem to concur with the law. We shall not be silenced.”
Sheffield’s Liberal Democrats are also concerned about the way the G8 protests are being handled.
The city council’s Liberal Democrat leader Paul Scriven. said: “Many streets in the city centre including Fargate will be closed off to the public. It is already public knowledge that protesters will be penned into an enclosure in Devonshire Green and not allowed to march, with exclusion zones operating in the city centre.
“The Liberal Democrats believe that people have a right to protest and should not be penned into a small area a considerable distance away from the actual event. They also believe that people should be able to move around the city centre lawfully with as little disruption as possible.
“We are worried about civil liberties issues and that the overly restrictive controls have the potential to cause unnecessary unrest amongst protesters and unnecessary inconvenience to local people,” he added.
South Yorkshire Police are planning to give precise details of the powers they will use shortly. A spokeswoman insisted the force would only “seek those powers that are considered appropriate for the summit in Sheffield”.
