London’s Notting Hill Carnival celebrates Caribbean heritage

LONDON – Revelers are filling the streets of west London for the annual Notting Hill Carnival amid sweltering temperatures and tight security.

Police were given special powers Monday at the Caribbean carnival billed as Europe’s biggest street party, allowing them to stop and search people without immediate cause. Commander Dave Musker, the officer in charge of policing the two-day event, says the powers are a temporary measure to keep revelers safe.

As of Sunday night, 97 people had been arrested for offences including assaulting police, drug possession and carrying weapons.

The carnival will pause for 72 seconds of silence at 3 p.m. as a mark of respect for the 72 victims of the Grenfell Tower blaze. The apartment block gutted by fire in June 2017 is close to the carnival’s route.