Silverstone on alert for climate change protests at British Grand Prix
The British Grand Prix is on high alert as it looks to avoid joining the list of high-profile sporting events disrupted by climate change protesters this year. Security at Silverstone has been increased ahead of Sundays race with Northamptonshire Police using Live Facial Recognition amid a raft of measures in a bid to stop protesters, who sat down on the Wellington Straight during the opening lap of last years race. Wimbledon, the second Ashes Test at Lords, the Premiership rugby final at Twickenham and the World Snooker Championship have already been targeted by Just Stop Oil protesters. On Saturday, former chancellor George Osborne and his new wife Thea Rogers had orange confetti thrown at them as they left the 14th century St Marys Church in the Somerset village of Bruton. The female protester fled smiling after being approached by security and Just Stop Oil retweeted a video of the incident, saying: You look good in orange George Osborne congratulations to the newlyweds. Later on Saturday, the organisation tweeted a video showing protesters on the track during last years race. A short time after, they responded to a tweet describing their members as a bunch of ordinary people doctors, teachers, councillors, priests doing what ordinary people are forced to do when faced with a criminal government. In a statement on Saturday, Just Stop Oil said: Scientists are telling us that we are rapidly approaching tipping points that threaten to push hundreds of millions outside the conditions necessary for supporting human life. In the face of that threat, Just Stop Oil will continue disrupting sports and cultural events until the Government makes a meaningful statement to halt and new licences or consents for fossil fuel exploration in the UK. Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial They welcomed seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamiltons statement of support for peaceful protest, calling on him to drop Malaysian energy company Petronas as a sponsor and to call for an end to new fossil fuel licensing in the UK. They tweeted: Doing so would allow us to make assurances that we would not disrupt specific events. Asked if he would support a protest which did not involve people invading the track, Hamilton said: Yes. I support peaceful protests. From my perspective, and my teams perspective, we are focused on sustainability and we believe in what people (the protesters) are fighting for and we are making those changes as a sport. But safety is key. We dont want to put them in harms way and we dont want to put anyone else in harms way. If there was to be one (a protest) we hope it is not on track. Silverstone has worked alongside Northamptonshire Police to beef up security with 150,000 fans expected to be in place for the race. Specialist teams, including armed officers, search teams, disruption officers and Automatic Number Plate Recognition units, are in place alongside Live Facial Recognition which works by scanning faces with a camera to match biometrics against those held on a watchlist. Police said the watchlist includes suspects who are wanted for offences or have an outstanding warrant for an arrest issued by the courts, those who pose a risk of harm to themselves or others and vulnerable missing people. Speaking to the PA news agency earlier this month, Silverstone managing director Stuart Pringle said: The fundamental difference here is that you are not putting your life in danger when you run on the pitch at Lords. You are not putting your life in danger when you sit on a snooker table or protest at a flower show. A motor racing track is not the place to go. It is extraordinarily dangerous and people will be putting lives at risk if they go there, and any sensible, right-thinking person can extrapolate what the ultimate risk here is. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Log in New to The Independent? Or if you would prefer: Want an ad-free experience? Hi {{indy.fullName}}