Prime Minister Theresa May made an unprecedented decision Tuesday to deploy up to 5,000 troops on the streets of the United Kingdom to combat terrorism.
Operation Temperer was constructed in 2015 to give the government more resources to respond to a major terror threat. May became the first prime minister to use the power when she upgraded the terror threat from “severe” to “critical” Tuesday.
Armed soldiers were spotted Wednesday at popular tourist sites and government buildings across London as a result.
Troops near #TrafalgarSquare at lunch time today. #army #london pic.twitter.com/DAnPSHEGs4
— Matthew Lofts (@matthewjl79) May 24, 2017
Army arrives at Westminster as London landmarks put on lockdown https://t.co/4O0XhwsugC pic.twitter.com/7dET3ZVSfo
— Evening Standard (@standardnews) May 24, 2017
Soldiers seen outside of Downing Street and on streets of London after terror threat raised https://t.co/3xE41ttEas pic.twitter.com/rU7JNTS3Zk
— ITV News (@itvnews) May 24, 2017
Security has also been enhanced across Manchester where the attack took place.
Armed officers are rare in the U.K., as more than 90 percent are unarmed on duty.
Officer Ketih Palmer, 48, was stabbed to death while guarding the entrance to the British Houses of Parliament unarmed in late March. Just 2,800 out of London’s 31,075 police officers are armed, which the police force considers a safety measure. (RELATED: Britain’s Response To Terror Threat: Keep 90 Percent Of Police Officers Unarmed)
A cornerstone principle of the Metropolitan Police in London is that guns send the wrong message to communities by provoking crime rather than preventing it. Most officers are only equipped with batons, handcuffs, a mace and in some cases stun-guns. A small number of specially-trained officers are the only ones carrying guns on patrol. These include counterterrorism police and some officers in high-risk areas like the Parliament.
France declared a state of emergency in 2015 after a string of deadly terror attacks. The measure is still in effect and tens of thousands of soldiers remain on the streets. (RELATED: You Can’t Even Get A Big Mac In Central Paris Without Going Through A Security Check)
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