NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • All Blacks
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • Deloitte Fast 50
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / World

Police roll out plan to counter protesters

Independent
12 Apr, 2013 08:16 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
People have been leaving cards and flowers at the London home of Margaret Thatcher since her death. Photo / AP
People have been leaving cards and flowers at the London home of Margaret Thatcher since her death. Photo / AP

People have been leaving cards and flowers at the London home of Margaret Thatcher since her death. Photo / AP

Rubber bullets and water cannon ruled out amid fears celebratory parties will disrupt Thatcher funeral.

Senior police and politicians met yesterday to finalise details for the funeral of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher after fears surfaced that numerous groups planned to disrupt the procession with parties celebrating her death.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed they were meeting representatives from Number 10 and the Home Office, as well as their counterparts at the City of London Police, to put the finishing touches to a plan that has been years in the making.

An event celebrating Thatcher's death is planned for tomorrow at Trafalgar Square, the scene of arguably the worst rioting of her tenure as Prime Minister. And there have been reports that the funeral procession itself will be disrupted by those who opposed Thatcher.

The police have said they are determined to protect the rights of those wishing to pay their respects, as well as those of the people wishing to hold parties, but officers ruled out the use of rubber bullets and water cannon in the event of any trouble.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Ian Bone, founder of Class War, the now defunct group which first called for a party to mark Thatcher's death in 1994, said the parties would go on regardless of police tactics.

He said: "If they try to stop it, it will just take place as near as possible to Trafalgar Square.

"If they block one road, we will go up another. If they decide to close Trafalgar Square down, we will head up the Strand.

"They can block off whatever they like and it will happen in the streets round about."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He said he believed the disruption to the former Prime Minister's funeral would be minimal but was being blown out of proportion to provide an excuse to shut down the events.

He said: "I know of no one who is planning to hold any type of protest on Wednesday. I think they are trying to big that up in order to crack down on Saturday [tomorrow NZ time].

"No one knows how many are coming to Trafalgar Square, I think it has taken the authorities by surprise. I don't think they knew about it, I think the police thought it would be just 30 or 40 of the usual anarchist suspects. It is only later that they realised it would be much bigger."

Letters and emails have been sent to those the police believe to be organisers of the two events, calling on them to enter into a dialogue with officers, to facilitate their demonstrations. But Bone, who received a note despite his claim not to be directly involved in organising tomorrow's event, said: "The problem they have is that it is a party, not a demonstration or a march.

Discover more

Opinion

Owen Jones: Legacy of Thatcherism must be torn down

09 Apr 05:30 PM
World

Brownlee to represent NZ at Thatcher's funeral

12 Apr 06:51 AM
Opinion

Paul Thomas: Iron Lady deserves more than the ghouls

12 Apr 05:30 PM
New Zealand

Caring Kiwi with Thatcher till end

12 Apr 05:30 PM

"So, it will just go on in the pubs if it cannot go on in the streets; that is what happened after the poll tax riot. It will be big and boisterous."

Asked about the possible deployment of rubber bullets and water cannon, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: "We have no plans to utilise such equipment."

The fears of disruption follow similar parties hours after Thatcher died on Monday. Detractors gathered in Glasgow and Brixton to mark her passing.

- Independent

Save
    Share this article

Latest from World

World

11 injured in Michigan Walmart stabbing

World

'Flew out of their seats': Sudden dive injures two on Southwest flight

World

Israel declares 'tactical pause' in fighting, allows Gaza aid airdrops amid famine fears


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Recommended for you

Kiwi Erika Fairweather disqualified in defence of world freestyle title
Sport

Kiwi Erika Fairweather disqualified in defence of world freestyle title

Tactix break ANZ Premiership drought, defeat Mystics in grand final
Netball

Tactix break ANZ Premiership drought, defeat Mystics in grand final

'Vile, degrading': Predator contends teen victim wouldn't have visited if he was unhappy
New Zealand

'Vile, degrading': Predator contends teen victim wouldn't have visited if he was unhappy

Eight of the cheapest Asian city break destinations
Travel

Eight of the cheapest Asian city break destinations

Police hunt for car involved in Whangārei bar robbery
New Zealand

Police hunt for car involved in Whangārei bar robbery

Auckland woman horrified council tried to take rough sleepers' tents, sleeping bags
New Zealand

Auckland woman horrified council tried to take rough sleepers' tents, sleeping bags



Latest from World

11 injured in Michigan Walmart stabbing
World

11 injured in Michigan Walmart stabbing

The victims included six men and five women. The suspect is in custody, police said.

27 Jul 03:13 AM
'Flew out of their seats': Sudden dive injures two on Southwest flight
World

'Flew out of their seats': Sudden dive injures two on Southwest flight

27 Jul 03:00 AM
Israel declares 'tactical pause' in fighting, allows Gaza aid airdrops amid famine fears
World

Israel declares 'tactical pause' in fighting, allows Gaza aid airdrops amid famine fears

27 Jul 12:35 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
All Access. All in one subscription. From $2 per week
Subscribe now

All Access Weekly

From $2 per week
Pay just
$15.75
$2
per week ongoing
Subscribe now
BEST VALUE

All Access Annual

Pay just
$449
$49
per year ongoing
Subscribe now
Learn more
30
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search