Cops ‘pelted with bricks & fireworks’ at Kill Bill demo
Call for probe into Bristol violence
CLASHES at a Kill the Bill demo where police say protesters pelted them with bricks and fireworks have sparked calls for an inquiry into how officers handled the incident.
Police say glass bottles and eggs were also thrown at them during the protest in Bristol on Friday night.
Fireworks were set off near a mounted division, and police claim one horse was daubed with paint.
Ten people were arrested, three of whom had also been detained at similar demos last Sunday.
And 18 more were arrested yesterday in Manchester after another Kill the Bill demo.
Small groups of protesters also took part in marches in Nottingham, Cambridge and Bath against the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, which gives police more power to impose conditions on peaceful protests, such as those deemed a nuisance. People convicted could face fines or jail time.
Critics argue the Bill infringes the right to free and peaceful expression. Footage from Bristol on Friday appeared to show officers striking protesters with their shields. On Friday night video emerged of Mirror reporter Matthew Dresch being pushed by a police officer.
Mr Dresch is speaking to police about the incident. Avon and Somerset police later tweeted: “A free press is a cornerstone of our democracy and we fully respect the media’s vital role in reporting events fairly & accurately.”
Labour MP Nadia Whittome tweeted: “The case for an independent investigation into policing of the #BristolProtests is clear.”
About 1,000 were at the demo. Trouble flared when officers bearing shields moved towards the protesters after 10pm. PM Boris Johnson called the clashes “disgraceful”, saying “police and the city have my full support”. Home Secretary Priti Patel called demonstrators “thugs”.
Shadow Chancellor Anneliese Dodds said the violence was “unacceptable”.
Disgraceful ... police and the city have my full support
BORIS JOHNSON ON THE VIOLENCE SEEN IN BRISTOL