Posted on 27th March 2009
Protest action by Manchester United fans caused the postponement of their home fixture against Liverpool at the weekend – and more could follow says FSA chair Malcolm Clarke.
G20 protests could disrupt England fans
This is a story from the FSF archive – the FSF and SD merged to become the FSA in 2019.
England fans making the trip to Wembley on Wednesday, April 1st, for the game with Ukraine might want to keep an eye on news bulletins in the build up to kick-off as there could be a heavier police presence in and around London than normal.
We understand that the City of London Police are taking the threat of public disorder very seriously in the run-up to the G20 summit which goes ahead on the same day as England’s World Cup qualifier. For once the heavy police presence will not be for football fans but for the thousands of protestors who are mobilising to make their presence known to world leaders.
Even those with only the vaguest grasp of London’s geography will realise the City is a long way from Wembley although fans travelling in and around the centre of London – particularly the City area – could find their trip disrupted. Protestors are due to meet at Liverpool Street, Cannon Street, London Bridge and Moorgate Tube Stations at 11.00am on April 1st and thereafter will congregate in and around the Bank and possibly spread out over the City.
While we are by no means predicting trouble, it is a realistic threat the police are taking extremely seriously. We’d suggest that if your day trip to Wembley also involved some sight seeing in central London, you may be advised to give the City and Canary Wharf a miss on this occasion. Especially if you’re a banker. If there is serious disorder Free Lions has also heard that there is a strong likelihood of mobile phone networks being closed down.
We don’t want to alarm anyone unnecessarily but we are aware of the threat and many measures companies are taking in the City to protect their staff and properties.
We feel it is only reasonable to let England fans know too.
Update – we’ve also been informed that there’s a Stop the War march taking place in London’s West End on Wednesday too. It will head down Regent Street, Piccadilly, and surrounding areas. Similar warnings apply.
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