ACTIVISTS slammed the police today for diverting resources away from tackling racist riots and targeting peaceful climate protesters instead.

Protesters opposing Drax power station, Britain’s largest carbon emitter, were due to set up a protest camp today. 

But police pre-emptively arrested 22 activists under public order offences, including conspiracy to interfere with key national infrastructure.

Police seized tents, toilets, a track for wheelchairs and other equipment to make the peaceful protest safe and accessible, organisers Reclaim the Power said.

The Silver Commander for the police operation, Supt Ed Haywood-Noble, admitted that police resources were “stretched nationally,” but still thought it was “essential” that the operation go ahead.

He claimed: “Policing is not anti-protest, we are anti-crime, and we are here to protect the public.”

The protest organisers hit back at the force for making the “unfathomable decision” to divert resources away from communities under attack in the racist violence sweeping Britain.

They accused the police of prioritising the arrest of peaceful protesters over “locating and arresting people who are actually organising far-right riots with bricks, knives and other weapons.”

In a statement the group added that the arrests send a “clear message that protecting the peace and quiet of Drax — who take £1.7 million a day in subsidies and hand it to shareholders as ‘profit’ — is more important than protecting the lives and livelihoods of people whose taxes pay those very subsidies.” 

A Drax spokesperson claimed that the firm was “at the forefront of efforts to help the UK decarbonise” and called plans to target the business “completely misguided.”

Reclaim the Power has insisted the protest will go ahead.