Environmental group to help guard London Marathon amid protest fears
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Workers hanging a Union Jack flag in preparation for the London Marathon, at The Mall, in London, on April 18, 2023.
PHOTO: AFP
LONDON – Environmental activist group Extinction Rebellion has agreed to help guard the London Marathon from disruption by protesters, event director Hugh Brasher said on Wednesday.
Organisers of Sunday’s race are stepping up security to avoid protests after recent disruptions at the Grand National horse race and World Snooker Championship – both events were held in England.
A Just Stop Oil protester halted the World Snooker Championship
A second table was undamaged despite another female activist attempting to glue herself to it.
Last Saturday’s Grand National was delayed by animal rights protesters, with 118 people arrested after they had tried to form a human barricade across the racecourse.
“(Extinction Rebellion) will be uniquely asking all their participants to help guard the London Marathon. To do something that is quite unique in their history – to protect what is one of the crown jewels of British sport,” Brasher told British media.
“It was not Extinction Rebellion at the snooker, it was Just Stop Oil. I have not yet had conversations with Just Stop Oil but I’m reaching out to them. I hope in those conversations they will be giving the same assurances.
“We run for clean air. That is so important in what we do.
“The environment is part of our DNA. And Extinction Rebellion has been very, very clear that they are in a new phase of wanting to engage the general public in a different way.
“I will be asking them to help and protect the marathon because of the good it does in society.”
About 750,000 people are expected to attend the race and organisers have assured that the event will be safe.
“You can expect to see many members of the police force on and around the course,” the London Marathon posted on its website.
“There’s no need to be concerned about the increased police presence – they are there to help you feel safe and to support us in delivering a secure and successful event.”
Extinction Rebellion, meanwhile, said it had no intention of disrupting the event.
“We acknowledge that the charities and campaigns groups that runners are supporting are unequivocally in favour of acting against climate collapse,” the group said in a statement.
“In an emergency, as we are in, we must find a way to share the London streets as we all want to support charity, but we also need to hold government to account.”
Marathon world record holder Eliud Kipchoge, who finished sixth at his Boston Marathon debut on Monday, will not be competing in London.
However, the four other fastest men in the world behind the Kenyan will be in attendance.
Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele, Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptum and Ethiopian duo Birhanu Legese and Mosinet Geremew have confirmed that they will be in the field.
REUTERS, AFP
