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UK officials seek probe after attack on royals
Source: Agencies |
December 11, 2010, Saturday
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BRITISH officials defended the country's security establishment yesterday after rampaging student protesters attacked a car carrying the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall.
The chief of the Metropolitan Police pledged to launch a full and detailed investigation into the incident, which saw protesters set upon the heir to the throne's Rolls Royce as it drove through London's busy West End on Thursday night. A group of up to 20 protesters, some chanting "off with their heads!" smashed a rear window and splashed white paint on the vehicle. Charles and Camilla were visibly shaken, but unharmed.
The security breach is particularly embarrassing for police and the Royal household in the run-up to Prince William's 2011 wedding, raising questions over whether or not security protocols need to be reviewed.
Prime Minister David Cameron said police must learn from the lapse in security but not be blamed for it, insisting that protesters should feel "the full force of the law."
"Let's be very clear about where responsibility lies," Cameron said. "Responsibility for smashing property, or violence, lies with the people who perpetrate that violence and I want to see them arrested and punished in the correct way."
He also shrugged off claims that violence was limited to a small minority of protesters, saying "there were quite a number of people who clearly were there wanting to pursue violence and destroy property."
Metropolitan Police Chief Paul Stephenson commended officers for their bravery and said the nearly 3,000-strong contingent of officers out to deal with Thursday's protests showed commendable restraint in dealing with the "dreadful" actions of "thugs."
Buckingham Palace said it does not comment on security procedures.
Furious student protesters attacked a car carrying Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, vandalized buildings and battled riot police on Thursday as a controversial hike in university fees triggered Britain's worst political violence in years.
Demonstrators set upon the heir to the throne's Rolls Royce as the couple was en route to a theater. A group of up to 20 struck it with fists, sticks and bottles, breaking a window and splattering the vehicle with paint.
Adnan Nazir, a 23-year-old podiatrist who was following the protesters, said Charles, 62, kept his calm, gently pushing his 63-year-old wife toward the floor to get her out of the line of fire.
"Charles got her on the floor and put his hands on her," Nazir said. "Charles was still waving and giving the thumb's up.
"It was just a surreal thing," he said. "It was completely manic."
The chief of the Metropolitan Police pledged to launch a full and detailed investigation into the incident, which saw protesters set upon the heir to the throne's Rolls Royce as it drove through London's busy West End on Thursday night. A group of up to 20 protesters, some chanting "off with their heads!" smashed a rear window and splashed white paint on the vehicle. Charles and Camilla were visibly shaken, but unharmed.
The security breach is particularly embarrassing for police and the Royal household in the run-up to Prince William's 2011 wedding, raising questions over whether or not security protocols need to be reviewed.
Prime Minister David Cameron said police must learn from the lapse in security but not be blamed for it, insisting that protesters should feel "the full force of the law."
"Let's be very clear about where responsibility lies," Cameron said. "Responsibility for smashing property, or violence, lies with the people who perpetrate that violence and I want to see them arrested and punished in the correct way."
He also shrugged off claims that violence was limited to a small minority of protesters, saying "there were quite a number of people who clearly were there wanting to pursue violence and destroy property."
Metropolitan Police Chief Paul Stephenson commended officers for their bravery and said the nearly 3,000-strong contingent of officers out to deal with Thursday's protests showed commendable restraint in dealing with the "dreadful" actions of "thugs."
Buckingham Palace said it does not comment on security procedures.
Furious student protesters attacked a car carrying Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, vandalized buildings and battled riot police on Thursday as a controversial hike in university fees triggered Britain's worst political violence in years.
Demonstrators set upon the heir to the throne's Rolls Royce as the couple was en route to a theater. A group of up to 20 struck it with fists, sticks and bottles, breaking a window and splattering the vehicle with paint.
Adnan Nazir, a 23-year-old podiatrist who was following the protesters, said Charles, 62, kept his calm, gently pushing his 63-year-old wife toward the floor to get her out of the line of fire.
"Charles got her on the floor and put his hands on her," Nazir said. "Charles was still waving and giving the thumb's up.
"It was just a surreal thing," he said. "It was completely manic."
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