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Met police condemn 'hooliganism' of far-right protesters in London Police seek emergency ban on London protests after 23 officers injured
(about 2 hours later)
Force says 23 officers were injured after being kicked, punched or hit by missiles Police unions want home secretary to stop mass rallies during Covid-19 pandemic
Britain’s biggest police force has condemned the “mindless hooliganism” and “utterly shocking” violence towards officers during clashes led by far-right protesters in central London on Saturday. The home secretary has been urged to impose an emergency London-wide ban on protests after Britain’s biggest police force condemned the “mindless hooliganism” and “utterly shocking” violence of far-right activists against its officers.
The Metropolitan police said 23 officers were injured after being kicked, punched or hit by missiles as they faced hundreds of angry demonstrators who claimed they were protecting statues from anti-racism campaigners. The head of the body representing rank-and-file police officers in England and Wales called for tougher restrictions on demonstrations after 23 officers were injured and more than 100 people were arrested during clashes in London on Saturday.
John Apter, the chair of the Police Federation for England and Wales, said “those who feel the need to protest” were “putting themselves and our colleagues at risk” and that politicians must work towards banning future protests during the coronavirus pandemic.
The call came as police forces across Britain dealt with another day of confrontation between anti-racism campaigners and self-styled “statue defenders”, many of whom appeared to have been organised by far-right groups such as Britain First.
The Metropolitan police said its officers injured after being kicked, punched or hit by missiles as they faced hundreds of angry demonstrators who claimed they were protecting statues in central London on Saturday.
Police said 113 people were arrested, including a 28-year-old man detained on suspicion of urinating by a Westminster memorial dedicated to the murdered police officer Keith Palmer.Police said 113 people were arrested, including a 28-year-old man detained on suspicion of urinating by a Westminster memorial dedicated to the murdered police officer Keith Palmer.
The Metropolitan police commander Bas Javid said: “The scenes officers encountered across central London yesterday were utterly shocking. Once again they were pelted with missiles, or challenged by groups of men intent on violence. Bas Javid, a commander at the Met, said: “The scenes officers encountered across central London yesterday were utterly shocking. Once again they were pelted with missiles, or challenged by groups of men intent on violence.
“Mindless hooliganism such as this is totally unacceptable and I am pleased arrests were made. We will now work closely with the courts in pursuit of justice.”“Mindless hooliganism such as this is totally unacceptable and I am pleased arrests were made. We will now work closely with the courts in pursuit of justice.”
Javid thanked officers for showing “enormous bravery in confronting violent behaviour” during the demonstration, which came after a week of tension about monuments including that of Winston Churchill following anti-racism demonstrations over the killing by police of George Floyd in America.Javid thanked officers for showing “enormous bravery in confronting violent behaviour” during the demonstration, which came after a week of tension about monuments including that of Winston Churchill following anti-racism demonstrations over the killing by police of George Floyd in America.
The clashes in London occurred as hundred of demonstrators, mostly white men, descended on the capital ostensibly to protect statues from vandalism. The protest, organised by far-right groups, turned violent when hundreds of self-proclaimed “statue defenders” took over areas near the Houses of Parliament and Trafalgar Square and hurled missiles, smoke grenades, glass bottles and flares at police officers. Ken Marsh, the chair of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said he was “absolutely appalled” at the violence faced by his colleagues, some of whom had their protective visors smashed by glass bottles thrown at their faces, he said.
Asked if future demonstrations should be banned, Marsh told LBC radio: “Absolutely, 100%. We’re in the middle of a pandemic still. I’ve said this before: my colleagues don’t have any choice about being there, we’re in the middle of a Covid-19 pandemic. It is unlawful what is taking place under the Covid legislation. Ban them.
“It’s down to the home secretary and the government to get this done. I’ve heard it publicly played out, the home secretary saying the mayor should ban it, the mayor saying it’s the home secretary’s fault ... come on, get a grip. Just sort it out.”
Any gathering of more than six people from different households would be a breach of coronavirus regulations. However, police have until now been unable to take additional steps to ban protests from taking place.
Such a ban would require authorisation from the home secretary, Priti Patel, and could be imposed under the Public Order Act 1986, which allows the prohibition of mass assembly if there is a risk of “serious disruption to the life of the community” or of “significant damage” to important buildings or monuments.
The Metropolitan police used this legislation to impose a blanket ban on Extinction Rebellion protests after eight days of disruptive demonstrations in October last year.
However, the high court later ruled that the Met’s use of section 14 of the Public Order Act was unlawful because it defined the group’s “Autumn uprising” as a single public assembly on which it could impose the order.
There were further confrontations between anti-racism protesters and far-right groups on Sunday. In Leeds, hundreds of people turned out for a peaceful protest, organised by Black Voices Matter Leeds, in support of the Black Lives Matter. The event in Millennium Square in the centre of the city included poetry readings and live music.
Police officers and horses, who lined the roads in an attempt to prevent the two groups from meeting, rushed to the scene as a handful of protesters clashed. The organisers of the Black Lives Matter protest reportedly urged their supporters to stay away from the counter-protesters in a bid to keep the peace.
Police in Glasgow also had to separate people calling for the removal of a statue of Robert Peel and the hundreds who had turned out to to oppose the removal of the cenotaph in the city’s George Square and other monuments as clashes broke out. A peaceful demonstration was also held in Caernarfon, Wales, where protesters gathered to remember George Floyd, whose killing by a police officer in Minnesota sparked international outrage.
The clashes in London on Saturday occurred as hundred of demonstrators, mostly white men, descended on the capital ostensibly to protect statues from vandalism. The protest, organised by far-right groups, turned violent when hundreds of self-proclaimed “statue defenders” took over areas near the Houses of Parliament and Trafalgar Square and hurled missiles, smoke grenades, glass bottles and flares at police officers.
The 113 arrests in London were for offences including breach of the peace, violent disorder, assault on officers, possession of an offensive weapon, possession of class A drugs and being drunk and disorderly. Similar demonstrations took place elsewhere, including in Bristol and Bolton, but appeared to pass off mostly peacefully.The 113 arrests in London were for offences including breach of the peace, violent disorder, assault on officers, possession of an offensive weapon, possession of class A drugs and being drunk and disorderly. Similar demonstrations took place elsewhere, including in Bristol and Bolton, but appeared to pass off mostly peacefully.
Boris Johnson condemned the “racist thuggery” of the London demonstrators, while the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, described the scenes as “shocking and disgusting” on Sunday.Boris Johnson condemned the “racist thuggery” of the London demonstrators, while the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, described the scenes as “shocking and disgusting” on Sunday.
The shadow home secretary, Nick Thomas-Symonds, said he was “extremely disturbed” by the “completely unacceptable” scenes of violence and called on Johnson to set out “concrete steps” to address “the inequality and racism that still sadly exists in our country”.The shadow home secretary, Nick Thomas-Symonds, said he was “extremely disturbed” by the “completely unacceptable” scenes of violence and called on Johnson to set out “concrete steps” to address “the inequality and racism that still sadly exists in our country”.
The Labour MP told Sky News: “The government needs to show leadership on the inequality and racism that still sadly exists in our country, and by that I mean the prime minister.
“The prime minister needs to come forward, show that he understands the hurt and the anguish of the stories that black people in our country have spoken about so movingly in recent weeks, and also to set out the concrete steps that his government now intends to take to address that.”
Thomas-Symonds also said he would back the government in creating a specific offence against damaging war memorials and that he would work cross-party to support such efforts in parliament.
The Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, said the violence shown towards the police had been “completely unacceptable”. He tweeted: “Today’s protests in London were led by those intent on causing violence and sowing hate for their own ends. We must not let them win.”