Arrests by the MPS during anti-lockdown protests in London in 2020

Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.21.022161

I note you seek access to the following information:

1. Can you provide recorded information on how many people were detained or/and arrested by Metropolitan Police during anti-lockdown protests in London on the following dates:
a) 29/August/2020
b) 19/September/2020
c) 26/September/2020
d) 24/October/2020
e) 28/November/2020
f) 20/March/2020
g) 15/May/2020
h) 29/May/2020
2. Can you provide recorded information on what grounds people motioned in point one, were detained or/and arrested?
3. Can you provide recorded information on how many people that got detained or/and arrested, on the dates mentioned in point one, by Metropolitan Police during anti-lockdown protests in London, were issued a Fixed Penalty Notice?
4. How many Police Forces as per head, were deployed on the streets of London during the anti-lockdown protests, on the dates mentioned in point one?
5. What was the cost of deploying Police Forces on the streets of London during anti-lockdown protest on the dates mentioned in point one?

Decision

I have today decided to disclose some of the requested information. Some data has been withheld as it is exempt from disclosure and therefore this response serves as a Refusal Notice under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act) by virtue of the following exemptions:

Section 21 – Information Reasonably Accessible by Other Means

Reason for decision

Your request for information has been considered by the MPS in accordance with the right to access public information provided by the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act).

Before I explain the reasons for the decisions I have made in relation to your request, it would be helpful if I outlined the parameters set out by the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act) within which a request for information can be answered.

When a request is made under the Act, a public authority must inform you, when permitted, whether the information requested is held. It must then communicate that information to you. If a public authority decides that it cannot comply with all, or part of a request, it must cite the appropriate section or exemption of the Act and provide you with a suitable explanation.

The Section 21 Exemption has been applied in relation to the following questions where I have provided the relevant links below: Q5. (a), (c), (d) & (e).

Section 21 of the Act provides public authorities with an exclusion from the duty to disclose information, under Section 1(1)(b) of the Act, when the information requested is reasonably accessible to the applicant. This exemption is accordingly claimed in respect of the information requested that is published. Where information is already in the public domain we are not required to re-publish the data, instead, public authorities are required to direct you to the information, which we have done in this instance.

Disclosure

Q1 - Can you provide recorded information on how many people were detained or/and arrested by Metropolitan Police during anti-lockdown protests in London on the following dates:
a) 29/August/2020 - 1 arrest
b) 19/September/2020 - 32 arrests
c) 26/September/2020 - 22 arrests
d) 24/October/2020 - 18 arrests
e) 28/November/2020 - 143 arrests
f) 20/March/2020 - 42 arrests
g) 15/May/2020 - 0 arrests
h) 29/May/2020 - 5 arrests

Q2 - Can you provide recorded information on what grounds people motioned in point one, were detained or/and arrested?
a) 29/August/2020 - 1 arrest for Covid breach
b) 19/September/2020 - (6x assault police/2x obstruct police/2x public order/2x drugs/20x breach Covid)
c) 26/September/2020 - 15 (4x assault police/7x other/4x public order)
d) 24/October/2020 - 16 (2 assault police/1x offensive weapon/14x other)
e) 28/November/2020 - 51 (9x assault police/2x crim dam/2x drugs/1x obstruction/1x offensive weapon/33x other/3x public order)
f) 20/March/2020 - No record of a public order event on that day.
g) 15/May/2020 - No record of a public order event on that day. There was an event on 16/05 which results in 19 arrests, all for Covid breaches.
h) 29/May/2020 - No record of a public order event on that day. There was an event on 30/05 which results in 7 arrests, all for Covid breaches.

Q3 - Can you provide recorded information on how many people that got detained or/and arrested, on the dates mentioned in point one, by Metropolitan Police during anti-lockdown protests in London, were issued a Fixed Penalty Notice?
a) 29/August/2020 - 1 FPN and 4 people separately charged for Covid offences.
b) 19/September/2020 - 18 FPNs
c) 26/September/2020 - 4
d) 24/October/2020 - 5 FPNs and 4 people separately charged for Covid offences.
e) 28/November/2020 - 82 FPNs and 10 people separately charged for Covid offences.
f) 20/March/2020 - No record of a public order event on that day.
g) 15/May/2020 - No record of a public order event on that day. On 16/05 there were 3 FPNs issued and 11 people separately charged.
h) 29/May/2020 - No record of a public order event on that day. On 30/05 there were 20 FPNs issued and 3 people separately charged.

Q4 - How many Police Forces as per head, were deployed on the streets of London during the anti-lockdown protests, on the dates mentioned in point one?

With the exception of 29 August 2020 and 24 October where support was received from the City of London Police (CoLP), the MPS was the only police force deployed, with the following Officer/Staff headcount:
a) 29/August/2020 - 2,596
b) 19/September/2020 - 232
c) 26/September/2020 - 674
d) 24/October/2020 – 597
e) 28/November/2020 - 1,340
f) 20/March/2020 - 300
g) 15/May/2020 - 320
h) 29/May/2020 – 229

Q5 - What was the cost of deploying Police Forces on the streets of London during anti-lockdown protest on the dates mentioned in point one?
a) 29/August/2020 - Please see the link below
b) 19/September/2020 - Total cost £111,659.64
c) 26/September/2020 - Please see the link below
d) 24/October/2020 – Please see the link below
e) 28/November/2020 - Please see the link below
f) 20/March/2020 - £141,957.87
g) 15/May/2020 - £148,310.96
h) 29/May/2020 – £106,758.96

Link with details for 5(a),(c),(d)
https://www.met.police.uk/SysSiteAssets/foi-media/metropolitan-police/disclosure_2020/december_2020/cost-of-policing-anti-lockdown-protests-in-london-in-2020

29 August
Total costs £1,382,648.45 (with some costs across the 4 day weekend policing plan)
Opportunity cost £981,539.81
Overtime cost £255,515.40
Fleet costs £9,467.43
Infrastructure cost £118,768.24 (over the 4 day Bank Holiday weekend cannot be broken down)
Hotels £3,229 (over the 4 day Bank Holiday weekend cannot be broken down)
Hire Vehicles £14,128.57 (over the 4 day Bank Holiday weekend cannot be broken down)

26 September
Total costs £274,809.29
Opportunity cost £124,667.84
Overtime £110,879.02
Fleet costs £6,116.24
Infrastructure costs £30,000
Catering £3,146.19

10 October
Total costs £163,115.86
Opportunity cost £87,112.53
Overtime cost £37,589.38
Fleet costs £5,620.85
Infrastructure costs £30,000
Catering £2,793.10

17 October
Total costs £82,625.65
Opportunity cost £54,171.45
Overtime cost £22,418.28
Fleet costs £4,550.56
Catering £1,485.36

24 October
Total costs £191,708.32
Opportunity cost £91,245.51
Overtime cost £91,436.10
Fleet costs £6,498.31
Catering £2,528.40

Link with details for 5(e)
https://www.met.police.uk/SysSiteAssets/foi-media/metropolitan-police/disclosure_2021/january_2021/cost--resources-for-policing-standupx-anti-lockdown-demonstration-on-28-november-2020

StandUpX anti-lockdown demonstration in Central London on 28 November 2020.
Total cost of the operation - £794,870.07
Number of Police Officers -1,340
Police vehicles involved in the response - 110 carriers and 30 minibuses.