The Delicate Politics of Olympic Security

Security measures at London’s Olympics will be so heavy they risk turning the city into an open prison. No, wait – they’re actually too light and won’t be enough to protect the city against major civil unrest. Currently, Britain’s media can’t quite decide which of these takes on London’s Olympic security provision is true. Some commentators claim the games’ huge security presence will bring about Lockdown London, a nightmarish police city state manned with more troops than Britain has in Afghanistan. Others fear that the concentration of police and guards around the Olympic Park will create a perfect storm for unruly youth to stage a replay of last summer’s riots.

Whatever position you take, everyone agrees that London’s Olympic security program is on a level Britain has never seen before. So far, its total budget(covering military and police backup across the city as well as security at Olympic venues) exceeds £1 billion, with the security presence at Olympic venues alone rising to over 23,000 guards. A missile-bearing aircraft carrier will be moored on the river Thames, drones will circle above the Olympic Park, an 11-mile long electrified security fence will be erected and 13,000 soldiers will hit the streets – a level of mobilization that Britain hasn’t seen since World War II.