Thousands of protesters protested against a government bill going through Parliament on the city center ignoring COVID-19 restrictions, which would give police new powers to restrict street protests.
Police said two police officers were seriously injured and at least two police vehicles were set on fire in the city of Bristol in southwest England during violent scenes following a peaceful demonstration.
Thousands of protesters protested against a government bill going through Parliament on the city center ignoring COVID-19 restrictions, which would give police new powers to restrict street protests.
The local force, Avon and Somerset Police, said the demonstration began in a peaceful manner, but was later turned into violent disorder by a small minority.
Home Minister Preeti Patel, interior minister, said on Twitter that the scenes in Bristol were unacceptable.
“Fraud and disorder will never be tolerated by a minority,” she said. “Our police officers have harmed themselves to save us all. My thoughts are with those police officers being injured this evening.”
Two officers were taken to the hospital, one with a broken arm and the other with a broken rib, while others were subject to violence and verbal abuse. A police station in the city center was vandalized.
Avon and Somerset Police said it requested help from neighboring forces to bring the situation under control.
“All those involved in this criminal behavior will be identified and brought to justice,” Avon and Somerset Chief Superintendent Will White said in a statement.
a Reuters Photographers at the scene saw some protesters fireworks toward police officers, tried to knock over a police van, scaled the outer wall of a police station and sprayed graffiti on it.
He also saw police, some in full riot gear, using batons and shields to try to repel protesters.
Some protesters shouted slogans such as “Kill the bill”, “The day democracy has become dictatorship” and “We can’t be silent that easy”.
The government’s police, crime, punishment and court bills will give the police new powers to impose time and noise limits on street protests.
There has been widespread resentment among activists since the London police’s heavy-handed response to murder victim Sarah Everard on 13 March, which led to widespread police resentment and criticism.
A serving police officer has been charged with the kidnapping and murder of Everard, and the case has expressed grief and anger over the issue of violence against women and girls.
The government’s bill pre-dated the Everard case and covered several policy areas as well as the policing of protests. However, the two were linked in the minds of many people, because incidentally, the bill was up for debate in Parliament two days after London’s oversight.
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