Police Brace for Nationwide Hotel Protests, Notting Hill Carnival Safety Concerns

Police are preparing for a challenging weekend as Notting Hill Carnival draws an expected two million attendees amid concerns about crowd safety and potential unrest related to protests against asylum seeker accommodations. The Metropolitan Police and event organizers have implemented additional safety measures, including more trained stewards, crowd experts, CCTV, and facial recognition technology, to manage crowd density and prevent incidents. Despite these efforts, police officers have expressed fears about being isolated and vulnerable to assaults, sexual harassment, and crowd crushes, with a history of significant violence against officers during the event. London Mayor Sadiq Khan has voiced concerns about the risk of a mass casualty incident, describing the event as a "victim of its own success." Concurrently, anti-migrant groups are staging protests at multiple hotels housing asylum seekers, which are expected to be met by counter-demonstrations, adding to police resource demands over the busy bank holiday weekend. Authorities maintain they are constantly reviewing intelligence and are confident in their preparedness to handle the combined pressures of the carnival, protests, and Premier League football fixtures.