coronavirus watchtowers
© Twitter / Luke Johnson @LukeJohnsonRCP
London police have reportedly installed "watchtowers" on Oxford Street to monitor adherence to two-meter social distancing rules, prompting social media users to make comparisons with "concentration camps" and "dystopian" novels.

Luke Johnson, a British entrepreneur, shared a picture of the new installations on Friday, raising eyebrows among Brits who questioned whether it was an appropriate way to spend taxpayer money. Many denounced the new street features as a "stupid waste" of resources.


Many also pointed out that the "two-meter rule" is guidance, not an actual law, making the decision to have police monitor citizens' behavior especially debatable.

Others complained that the watchtowers were something more likely to be seen in an authoritarian state like North Korea.

The towers were also branded as "dystopian" and "Orwellian," with one user dubbing them "Covid-1984" towers.

The decision to install the watchpoints comes as London Mayor Sadiq Khan announced £110mn in police cuts, which left one Twitter user wondering how authorities still had "enough money to turn London into a concentration camp."


Earlier this week, the UK government said its two-meter social distancing rule would be relaxed starting July 4, after receiving complaints from the hospitality industry that it makes business almost impossible.

With the eased rule, people will now be asked to keep a "one-meter plus" distance where it is difficult to maintain two metres of space.