BRISTOL, England (Reuters) – Two police officers were seriously injured and at least two police vehicles were set on fire during violent protests in the city of Bristol in the south west of England, police said.
Thousands of protesters rallied downtown and ignored COVID-19 restrictions, protesting against a government-led government bill that would give police new powers to curb street protests.
The local force, Avon and Somerset police, said the protest started peacefully but was later turned into a violent disturbance by a small minority.
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Home Secretary Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, said on Twitter that the scenes in Bristol were unacceptable.
“Bullying and disorder by a minority will never be tolerated,” she said. “Our police officers are all harming themselves. My thoughts are with the injured police officers tonight.”
Two officers were taken to hospital, one with a broken arm and another with broken ribs, while others were subjected to violence and verbal abuse. The outside of a downtown police station has been vandalized.
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Avon and Somerset police said they had enlisted the help of neighboring forces to bring the situation under control.
“All those involved in this criminal conduct will be identified and brought to justice. There will be significant consequences for conduct such as this,” Avon and Somerset chief executive Will White said in a statement.
A Reuters photographer at the scene saw some protesters launching fireworks at police officers, trying to overturn a police van, scaling down the outside wall of a police station and spray-painting graffiti on it.
He also saw the police, some of them in full riot gear, using batons and shields to try to ward off protesters.
Some protesters had placards with slogans such as ‘Kill the Bill’, ‘The Day Democracy Became Dictatorship’ and ‘We Can’t Be Silced That Easy’.
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The bill on police, crime, sentencing and government courts will give the police new powers to impose time and noise restrictions on street protests.
This angered activists, especially as a heavy-handed police response to a London vigilance for murder victim Sarah Everard on March 13 sparked widespread anger and criticism from police.
A serving police officer has been charged with kidnapping and murdering Everard, and the case has sparked an outburst of sadness and anger over the issue of violence against women and girls.
The government bill preceded the Everard case and covers a wide range of policy areas as well as policing protests. However, the two became connected in many people’s heads because the bill happened to be discussed in parliament two days after the London night vigil.
Reporting by Peter Cziborra in Bristol and Estelle Shirbon in London; Edited by Andrew Heavens and Daniel Wallis