So it turns out that it took 78 coppers to remove Brian Haw's placards earlier this week, and that this has been seen as 'overkill' by certain members of the Metropolitan Police Authority.
Well, no shit.
78 policemen at 3 in the morning? What were they expecting would happen?
"Better send a shit load of men down there sir, Brian 'the most famous pacifist in London' Haw may have a semi-automatic squirreled away somewhere under that hat of his. And we've heard rumours that he has a band of highly-trained Ninja bodyguards who look over him as he sleeps, just in case we try anything."
Sir Ian Blair has, of course, defended the whole operation,which cost £7,500 by the way.
Sir Ian said the operation was done at night to avoid disrupting heavy day-time traffic around the square.
Police could not allow Mr Haw to "continuously ignore the law", he insisted. "The police do not have discretion over a continuing criminal offence which is in the public eye all the time."
Has anyone ever seen Brian disrupt traffic?
Anyone? No, thought not.
