LONDON (AP) – Police in the English city of Bristol say they detained ten people during a third night of protest against a new police law.
Hundreds of protesters against police, crime, sentencing and the Bill courts staged a protest on Friday night in front of a police station in the south-west of England and some fought with officers with helmets and shields. who tried to break the concentration.
Avon and Somerset police forces said Saturday that eggs, bottles and bricks were thrown at officers and a police horse was spray-painted.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson condemned what he called “shameful attacks on police officers in Bristol”.
“Our agents should not have to face a mob throwing bricks, bottles and fireworks at the violence and causing property damage,” he said on Twitter. “The police and the city have my full support.”
The contentious bill, which is currently going through Parliament, gives the police stronger powers to restrict protests. Two other “Kill the Bill” protests against the legislation in Bristol this week also sparked clashes. Police blamed a minority of troublemakers among largely peaceful protesters.
But some have accused the force of an intense response and exaggerating the magnitude of injuries to officers. Police initially claimed two had suffered broken bones during a protest that turned into a riot on Sunday. Later, the force said no officer had fractures, but 40 were slightly injured.
Police Superintendent Mark Runacres said officers “showed exceptional patience in the face of a major disorder” and had used “reasonable force.”
Police conduct and priorities in Britain have come under heavy scrutiny following the death of Sarah Everard, a 33-year-old London woman who went missing on her way home from a friend’s house on 3 March. A police officer on duty has been charged with murder.
Tensions escalated when police broke a vigil at Everard’s memory because it violated coronavirus restrictions banning mass gatherings.