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| Police seek protests ban after 23 officers injured in London rallies | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Head of police union for England and Wales calls for ban during Covid-19 pandemic | |
| Priti Patel has been urged to impose an emergency ban on all protests after Britain’s biggest police force condemned the “mindless hooliganism” and “utterly shocking” violence of far-right activists against its officers in London. | |
| 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. | 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: “In normal times the principle of having the right to peaceful protests is an important one. However, we are not in normal times, we are tackling a deadly virus which is indiscriminate in who it can affect. | |
| “I urge the home secretary to be unequivocal in her terms that whilst we are under the threat of this virus, any large gathering or protest must be banned.” | |
| 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 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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. | 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.” | “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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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 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. | 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 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”. |