Thousands of Britons clashed in the early hours of Monday against plans to give British police new powers to crack down on protests, leaving 20 policemen injured, including one with a punctured lung, officials said.
At least 5,000 people initially joined the afternoon protests in Bristol against the planned legislation, BristolLive said, with many banners condemning a dreaded “police state” and “dictatorship”.
Protests over the so-called “Kill the Bill” turned violent when “several thousand” people stormed a police station in the south-west of England, sparking an hour-long riot, he said. local medium.
After riot police tried to push a police van, officers were caught on two fronts, security reported, with police vehicles also set on fire and the windows of the compound broken. Some of the crowd even managed to climb onto the roof of the station and throw stones at officers, BristolLive said.
Local police called for reinforcements from surrounding areas and used pepper spray and police dogs to pull back against riot police, the center reported.
The violence injured 20 officers. Two were hospitalized with broken bones, including one who also suffered a punctured lung, Avon and Somerset police reported.
The protests were against the government, police, crimes, sentences and courts bill, which is currently going through parliament, which would give the police new powers to impose time and noise limits on street protests. The name of the protest, “Kill the Bill”, also has some ominous nuances, as British police are often referred to as “the Bill”.
Although only seven people were arrested overnight, the force launched “one of the largest appeals for wanted suspects we have ever made,” said section chief Andy Marsh.
“The disproportionate violence and destruction had nothing to do with the protest: it was committed by those seeking an excuse to commit disorder,” the senior police officer said in a statement, condemning the “shameful” scenes.
“Officers were shot down with stones, missiles and fireworks and it was a terrifying situation for them,” he said. At least 12 police vehicles were destroyed after the protest was “hijacked by extremists,” he said.
UK Home Secretary Priti Patel also took off “Unacceptable Scenes.”
“Discomfort and disorder on the part of a minority will never be tolerated,” he tweeted.
Sue Mountstevens, police and crime commissioner for the Avon and Somerset region, called the riots “dishonorable and outrageous.”
“Police officers went to work yesterday and some have returned home through a battered and injured hospital,” he said.
Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees, who opposes new legislation – said “Good Morning Britain” Monday that riot police only used it as an excuse to “destroy our city” and that they had actually harmed its cause.
“It will be used as evidence by people who want to support the bill,” he said.
With mail cables