Vigil for father who died during arrest erupts into violence
PROTESTERS set fire to a bin, threw bottles and blocked roads outside a police station as they demonstrated over the death of a black man who was restrained by an officer.
A crowd of up to 150 holding Black Lives Matter banners brought traffic to a standstill outside Stoke Newington police station, north-east London, in a vigil for Rashan Charles, 20.
Tensions have been rising since the father of one died on Saturday. He had been pursued by
police into a corner shop in Hackney and held down.
On Monday night crowds chanting ‘no justice, no peace’ gathered around a burning municipal skip set alight by protesters.
Traffic was halted as piles of litter were dumped to block the path of oncoming vehicles and campaigners stood in the road.
One young woman got in front of a taxi and another man, bearing a sign reading ‘Justice for
Rashman’, sat in front of a bus. As darkness fell, a small group of protesters threw bottles and sticks at police officers, although no one was injured.
The vigil was organised by Stand Up To Racism, and joined by Mr Charles’s father Patrick, who urged demonstrators to remain peaceful. However, he accused police of killing his son.
Scotland Yard said Mr Charles had swallowed an object and the officer was trying to protect him. The IPCC is investigating.