Poll: Britons Expect ‘Positive Legacy’ From Olympics

A majority of Britons think the upcoming London Olympics will leave a positive legacy for the U.K. and the city, according to a recent poll by international polling company Angus Reid.
Poll: Britons Expect ‘Positive Legacy’ From Olympics
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A majority of Britons think the upcoming London Olympics will leave a positive legacy for the U.K. and the city, according to a recent poll by international polling company Angus Reid.

Of 2,026 British residents who took an online survey, 78 percent thought the summer games will have a positive lasting effect on the city.

However, the poll also revealed concerns about the games being disrupted.

“Certain groups have announced plans to disrupt the London Olympics through protests,” said Angus Reid. Those plans are opposed by 57 percent of Britons and 51 percent of Londoners.

Last month, London announced that it would deploy an extra 12,500 police to deal with potential riots, citing the need for extra police after last year’s spate of riots and arson. Last August, riots erupted in London and in other English cities following the shooting death of a local man.

Numerous groups have objected to the increased military presence in London, including putting missile launchers on top of residential apartment buildings, and deploying a fleet of Royal Air Force fighter jets to police the skies in case of a terrorist attack.

“We have a standing army capability to go out and engage with any groups that want to be engaged with,” Secretary of State for Defense Philip Hammond reported to Parliament on June 11.

Other critics have objected to the heavy corporatization of the Olympics.

Nearly half of those polled claimed to be “very interested” or “moderately interested” in the Olympics coming to London.