British Grand Prix

How 'RING OF STEEL' will protect British GP from Just Stop Oil protests

Lauren Sneath Saturday 8 July 2023 12:06

Local police have promised a ‘ring of steel’ around the Silverstone race track to protect the event from environmental activists this weekend.

Activists from the protest group Just Stop Oil have been disrupting a series of sporting events, including recent protests at Wimbledon and the Ashes.

Last year, protesters attempted to take to the track on the first lap of the British Grand Prix, though the race was soon red-flagged after a serious crash involving Alfa Romeo driver Zhou Guanyu.

The attempted protest led to Lewis Hamilton urging demonstrators not to put themselves in danger. He wrote on social media at the time: "As we've seen, this is a very dangerous sport.

"I wasn't aware of the protests and while I'll always support those standing up for what they believe in, it must be done safely.

"Please don't jump onto our race circuits to protest. We don't want to put you in harm's way."

‘Robust police plan’ in place this year

Detective Superintendent Richard Tompkins, who is the event’s manager for Northamptonshire Police, said a ‘robust’ plan aims to cover all bases to avoid the weekend being disrupted.

According to Bild, Tompkins said: "We have drawn up a robust police plan for this year's event.

“Around the racetrack, there will be a ring of steel in which additional officials will be deployed to deal with every incident."

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