THE FORMER Head of Protection for the Royal Family says he’s “horrified” that Extinction Rebellion were able to gain access to the House of Commons.
Dai Davies told GB News Breakfast: “I’m quite horrified. It’s unbelievable. It just beggars belief, frankly.”
“A firm called Westminster PLC was awarded the contract to actually review all the security two years ago. So what on earth has gone wrong? It’s as bad as if somebody got into Buckingham Palace in my humble opinion. And really, somebody has to look again, what on earth we’re doing both internally, and the patrolling externally.
“I remember when the IRA were trying to combat or attack the Royal Family, we put police officers at strategic points so you had a human eye. On top of the technical as it were, it just beggars belief, frankly.”
He further added: “The fact is that they actually got into the speaker’s chair. Now my understanding is there are strict rules and they are searched. You can’t bring banners, you can’t bring flags. So who searched them and in what manners were they searched? And how could so many bring in so many aspects of their protest?
“Questions, should be asked because if we can’t protect parliament, what hope is there for the rest of us?”
Political group Extinction Rebellion gained access to the Houses of Common on Friday, with some glueing themselves around the speaker’s chair and others locking their necks to the railings.
The environmental activist group said around 50 of its supporters “took non-violent action” demanding a citizens’ assembly to discuss the climate crisis with banners and signs reading “Let the people decide”. The Metropolitan Police said specialist protester removal team officers worked to remove the demonstrators. Eight people were arrested as a result of the protest.
Mr Davies is a specialist in security and investigation, a former Head of Royal Protection and a former Divisional Commander in the Metropolitan Police Service. In 1995 he was appointed to be Operational Unit Commander in charge of Royal Protection for HM The Queen and the Royal Family.
He was responsible for Palace and Personal Protection throughout the UK and worldwide.
