Fireworks launched at terrified police horses as protests in Bristol turn violent AGAIN
Boris Johnson has condemned a ‘mob intent on violence’ after anti-police protesters rioted in Bristol again last night.
The Prime Minister slammed the ‘disgraceful’ demonstration and hit out at those ‘intent on violence and causing damage to property’.
He was backed by Priti Patel who blasted the ‘thugs’ who were ‘only intent on causing trouble’ at the Kill the Bill march.
The Home Secretary said she was ‘disgusted’ by the attacks on police, which saw protesters launch fireworks at officers on horseback outside Bridewell Police Station.
She said the force ‘have my full support’ and added she believed the ‘silent, law-abiding majority will be appalled by the actions of this criminal minority’.
Police used their shields to batter protesters, sending some of them tumbling to the ground as they pushed and shoved at the police line blocking off their headquarters.
More than 100 riot officers started to disperse the crowd of more than 1,000 people after eggs, bottles and traffic cones were pelted at them, with snarling dogs marched forwards to force the demonstrators back.
Officers were seen beating at least one protester across the thighs as he refused to go quietly when he was apprehended. Two other videos on social media showed journalists being shoved back by officers.
Ten arrests were made after what police called unacceptable ‘violent conduct’ at the third Kill the Bill demonstration.
Protesters are demanding the government scrap a new policing bill which criminalises marches deemed a ‘public nuisance.’
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At around 11pm footage emerged showing mounted officers cantering towards the crowds before a firework was hurled among the horses’ hooves. When the rocket exploded the terrified horses scattered across the road as their riders lurched around in their saddles and policemen on foot rushed aside to avoid being clattered by the animals.
Horses are sent skittering across the pavement as a firework explodes at their feet in appalling scenes in Bristol on Friday night
Violence exploded in Bristol again last night with protesters hurling fireworks at mounted police after anarchy broke out yards from the police station which was the scene of last Sunday’s chaos
Ten arrests were made after what police called unacceptable ‘violent conduct’ at the third Kill the Bill demonstration
Officers used their shields to batter protesters, sending some of them tumbling to the ground as they pushed and shoved at the police line blocking off Bridewell Police Station
More than 100 riot police started to disperse the crowd of more than 1,000 people after eggs, bottles and traffic cones were pelted at them, with snarling dogs marched forwards to force the demonstrators back
Police riders were sent careering across the road after a firework was pelted at them by a rioter in Bristol city centre on Friday night
A demonstrator falls during a clash with police officers at the ‘kill the bill’ protest in central Bristol on Friday night
Demonstrators scuffle with riot police in Bristol city centre last night after their protest of the new policing bill turned violent
Mounted officers are seen holding their ground before a crowd of people on the streets of Bristol last night
A protester is tackled by officers as they move in to shut down demonstrations in Bristol city centre on Friday night
Mounted officers backed by policemen with riot shields march the crowds backwards after mayhem broke out on Friday night
Mounted officers on guard on the streets of Bristol on Friday night as hundreds of demonstrators continued to rail against them
A protester wrenches at a police riot shield in Bristol city centre on Friday night during clashes between demonstrators and officers
An officer detains a protester last night as another stands guard while they are surrounded by crowds of demonstrators
Police officers with raised batons move in to disperse the crowds in central Bristol on Friday night
An officer wearing riot gear is seen grappling with a protester on the pavement in Bristol last night
Riot police were seen using their shields to whack protesters at the front of the line who were shoving into officers
A man wearing a hood shoves back police by holding onto one of their riot shields in Bristol last night
An officer uses the butt of his shield to strike a protester in his midriff during Friday night’s riot
Snarling dogs were deployed by officers to march the crowds out of the city centre and away from the police headquarters
Mr Johnson said: ‘Last night saw disgraceful attacks against police officers in Bristol. Our officers should not have to face having bricks, bottles and fireworks being thrown at them by a mob intent on violence and causing damage to property. The police and the city have my full support.’
Ms Patel added: ‘I’m in no doubt the silent, law-abiding majority will be appalled by the actions of this criminal minority.
‘Despite repeated warnings to disperse, it’s clear these thugs were only intent on causing trouble. I am receiving regular updates and the police have my full support.’
At around 11pm footage emerged showing mounted officers cantering towards the crowds before a firework was hurled among the horses’ hooves.
When the rocket exploded the terrified horses scattered across the road as their riders lurched around in their saddles and policemen on foot rushed aside to avoid being clattered by the animals.
‘No, no, stop,’ yelled some protesters, intent on maintaining a semblance of peace amid the rioting.
More than 1,000 had earlier massed outside the police station in the city centre which on Sunday was targeted by rioters who torched police vans amid 40 reports of assaults on officers.
As they crowded around the wide cordon set up by police with shields and parked vans, officers were tipped off that a group of six men were spotted in the crowd wearing knuckledusters just 100 yards from the police headquarters.
Some demonstrators were seen turning up with carrier bags full of booze despite police putting a restriction notice on city centre shops banning them from selling alcohol.
Others earlier held daffodils out to officers to symbolise peace, with some walking up to their riot shields and placing the flowers on top – but the demonstration soon deteriorated.
Protesters had also shone laser lights into officers’ faces, the force said.
Some 300 people initially joined a protest march through the city centre against the Government’s new Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, before the crowd swelled to more than 1,000 as tempers flared.
Police officers wearing helmets and holding shields moved towards the protesters after 10pm, after calling for the crowd to disperse.
A statement from the force said ten people were arrested in the city over the night. Avon and Somerset Police Superintendent Mark Runacres said: ‘Ten people were arrested for offences including violent disorder, assaulting an emergency worker and possession of Class A drugs.
‘Items, including glass bottles and bricks were thrown at officers, fireworks were launched at our mounted section while one of our horses was also covered with paint.’
He added: ‘Three of those arrested were also detained in connection with the violent disorder which took place in Bristol on Sunday.’
The force had previously urged people not to attend, and later to go home due to the risk of spreading Covid-19.
A large police presence was on duty during the demonstration, including horses and dogs which were used to help move the crowd back.
Prior to the arrests, protesters had been spotted dancing to music despite heavy rain, handing out flowers and chanting slogans such as ‘Who do you protect?’ and ‘Justice for Sarah’.
Rows of officers and vans had blocked the protesters from Bridewell police station, the scene of Sunday’s violence.
Friday’s protest was the third demonstration held in Bristol against the proposed Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.
The legislation would give police in England and Wales more power to impose conditions on non-violent protests, including those deemed too noisy or a nuisance, with those convicted under the bill liable to fines or jail terms.
The first demonstration last Sunday began peacefully with around 3,000 attending, but descended into a riot when some 500 people marched on Bridewell police station.
Nine people have been arrested in connection with the disorder, in which officers attacked, police vehicles were set on fire and the windows of a police station smashed. The force later retracted claims two officers suffered fractures in Sunday night’s riot.
Snarling dogs are marched forwards by officers amid rioting on the streets of Bristol on Friday night
Officers with batons and shields drawn defend their colleagues on horseback in Bristol on Friday night
Demonstrators push back police officers during a protest against a newly proposed policing bill
A man takes hold of a police riot shield as scuffles break out
Mounted officers are deployed behind riot police with shields during the clashes
A protester lies on the road with his hands up to shield his head during angry clashes with riot police
A hooded man pushes against riot police in the city centre on Friday night
A demonstrator lies on the pavement after being bundled to the ground by riot police
People are seen clashing with riot police in Bristol city centre on Friday night over the new policing legislation
Police dogs are used to disperse crowds in Bristol city centre on Friday night
Police with riot shields shove against demonstrators in the city centre on Friday night
A woman can be seeing pushing against a riot shield in the city centre during ferocious clashes on Friday night
Protesters are seen pushing against police riot shields in Bristol on Friday night amid anger over the new policing bill
Riot police use their shields to force demonstrators back after an hours-long protest which began this afternoon turned violent
A demonstrator is seen pushing against police officers with riot shields in the city centre last night
Police officers hold their shields as hundreds of demonstrators mass around them and their colleagues on horses
‘We believed the information had been verified but it had not, and while we apologise for that there was no intention to mislead,’ a force spokesman said. A second protest took place on College Green on Tuesday night and resulted in 15 arrests.
Earlier on Friday, National Police Chiefs’ Council chairman Martin Hewitt warned large gatherings remained illegal under lockdown rules and suggested there were extremist agitators seeking to ‘hijack’ peaceful protests.
Mr Hewitt said protesters arrived at Sunday’s demo ‘intent on causing violence and causing damage’ and that the people arrested were from ‘literally all over the United Kingdom’.
‘I would ask people planning to protest this weekend to think carefully and consider whether joining a large gathering outside, in the midst of a pandemic, and potentially being near the scene of violence like we saw last weekend, is something that is safe for them as individuals to do,’ he said.
‘And let me really be clear that any person who is identified committing such acts of violence as we saw can expect to face the full weight of the law.
Protestors and police officers in Bristol city centre for the third ‘Kill the Bill’ protest against new policing powers, March 26
Demonstrators gesture in front of police officers during a protest against a newly proposed policing bill, in Bristol
Police officers detain a demonstrator during a protest against a newly proposed policing bill, in Bristol
Protestors and police officers in Bristol city centre for the third ‘Kill the Bill’ protest against new policing powers
Police officers clash with demonstrators during a protest against a newly proposed policing bill
Police officers detain a man as they move in on demonstrators in Bristol
A demonstrator with a bandaged wrapped around his bleeding head during clashes in the city on Friday night
Police officers move in on demonstrators in Bristol during the ‘Kill The Bill’ protest against The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill
Officers with shields force demonstrators back in Bristol city centre last night
Police with dogs order demonstrators to disperse from the city centre on Friday night
‘You will have seen the number of images that Avon and Somerset Police have been putting out already, and they are working really hard with the Crown Prosecution Service as well.
‘And these people will be brought to justice, and already some of those have been taken through the courts and brought to justice, and indeed one of those that has been imprisoned was someone that was already on bail for assaulting police officers.’
Yesterday police shared footage from Sunday’s protest, showing the moment a lit item was placed under a police van while a police officer was inside.
Earlier an activist who previously helped organise Bristol protests also urged people to stay home. The unnamed man advised people wait until Monday, when coronavirus restrictions relax, to gather.
He said: ‘My belief is that, in this current climate of lockdowns, young people, bored and frustrated by their situation, witnessing a standoff with police in the evening, could be inclined to take out their aggression on the police who they may feel responsible for their lack of possibilities at the moment.
Demonstrators hold out flowers at the rally against the new policing legislation in Bristol on Friday night as they faced-off with more than 100 riot police outside the station which was the scene of Sunday night’s riot
More than a hundred riot police were deployed in Bristol last night on Bridewell Street which saw assaults on officers and vans torched on Sunday night
A protester with a bottle of vodka in one hand gestures to police with the other and appaers to shout at them during the protest on Friday night
Thousands of protesters flood the streets of Bristol on Friday night to demonstrate against new police powers
An officer holds a shield which has had a daffodil placed upon its rim. Demonstrators were earlier seen holding flowers towards officers in a sign of goodwill
A young woman gestures in front of a police van on Bridewell Street, the scene of Sunday night’s riot over the policing bill which left 40 police officers injured
A protester wearing a balaclava and a sheepskin coat holds his arms outstretched before a line of riot police in Bristol city centre last night
A demonstrator stands inches away from a riot police officer to look him in the eyes during protests in Bristol
A row of police vans are used to block off Bridewell Street close to the police station on Friday evening. Vans were torched on Sunday night during a riot over the new policing bill
A protester stands in front of a police line near to Bridewell Police station during the ‘Kill The Bill’ protest against The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill in Bristol
Hundreds of demonstrators stream past police vans in Bristol city centre on Friday evening during a ‘kill the bill’ demo. Yesterday, National Police Chiefs’ Council chairman Martin Hewitt warned that large gatherings remained illegal under the Covid lockdown rules and suggested there were extremist agitators seeking to ‘hijack’ peaceful protests.
A demonstrator holds a sign which reads: ‘Bun Babylon,’ as mounted officers patrol the streets. In West Indian patois bun means burn, while Babylon refers to the state or the system, taken from Biblical references to the wicked city on the banks of the Euphrates
Police block off a road during the ‘Kill The Bill’ protest against The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill in Bristol
Demonstrators holding protesters denouncing the legislation and referring to a ‘Tory police state’ are held up by activists in Bristol yesterday evening
Officers prepare to keep the demonstrators at bay yesterday evening by linking arms across the highway
Hundreds of demonstrators are seen pouring through the streets of Bristol this afternoon, the third such demonstration in the city centre since Sunday
A protester is seen spraying paint across a building in the city centre this afternoon as crowds gathered to demonstrate against new police legislation
Riot police hold up shields beside a van parked across the road as they face-off with demonstrators for a third time in a week
Protestors gather on College Green, Bristol ahead of the third ‘Kill the Bill’ protest against new policing powers yesterday evening
A hooded protest holds a sign that says ‘Police lies cost lies’ as hundreds gathered on College Green in Bristol city centre this afternoon
‘We normally chose day times on weekends to negate the risk of people with alternate agendas hijacking our protests.
‘I cannot support the choice of a Friday afternoon start, it’s a recipe for disaster, obviously, and therefore I fear this event has been organised by someone with bad intentions, and so I want to be distanced from it entirely, as do those I know.’
Chief Superintendent Claire Armes, Avon and Somerset Police’s head of operational support, urged people not to march this weekend.
She said: ‘We are aware that some people may be intending to protest in Bristol and Bath this weekend, 26 to 28 March.
‘Once again, we remind everyone that we’re still in a pandemic which has cost many lives and remains a significant challenge for our colleagues in the NHS.
‘We have all sacrificed so much to stop the spread of this terrible disease and we’re so close to a relaxation of the restrictions, when peaceful protest will again be possible.
A protester speaks to officers on Bridewell Street close to the police station on Friday night
A demonstrator stands in front of police officers during a protest against a newly proposed policing bill, in Bristol
Demonstrators hold signs urging the government to ‘kill the bill’, another holds a depiction of a pig – an insult which is used against police
A demonstrator holds a sign written on the underside of a skateboard as hundreds mass on College Green in the city centre
Police officers with riot helmets at the ready patrol through central Bristol this afternoon as demonstrators gathered again
Hundreds of protesters hold signs denouncing the government’s new bill as Bristol prepares for another night of demonstrations
Police said around 300 people joined a march through the city and the crowd headed towards Bridewell Street, the scene of Sunday’s riot. A large police presence was on duty, including horses and dogs, and was preventing the protesters reaching Bridewell police station where police vans were torched and officers assaulted at the weekend.
Pffocers stand guard to prevent demonstrators from making their way to Bridewell police station, the scene of the weekend’s riot
Officers stand guard in Bristol city centre, using manpower and vehicles to block the highway as demonstrators mass against the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill
Hundreds of protesters stream through the city this afternoon to demonstrate against the new policing bill which criminalises protests deemed a ‘public nuisance’
Demonstrators holding signs which say, ‘Covid is bad but the bill is worse’ and, ‘History has its eyes on you’
Police block a road leading to the police station in the city
Demonstrators crowd around police officers in the city centre during the policing bill protest on Friday afternoon
Protesters march through the city centre on Friday to demonstrate against the new police powers
An officers hands a protester a notice on Friday evening as hundreds of people swell through the city’s streets
Demonstrators march through the city centre with signs calling for the ‘end of police violence’ yesterday evening
Demonstrators standing on elevated platforms look out across a sea of other protesters in Bristol city centre yesterday evening
Demonstrators hold a placard which says, ‘They speak in violence, we speak in peace’, in the city centre yesterday evening
Police officers with helmets clipped to their waists, along with batons, survey the scene on College Green, Bristol, on Friday afternoon
Police officers stand watch on College Green this afternoon as young people gathered to demonstrate against the new policing bill
An officer looks out over hundreds of youngsters preparing to protest against the new policing legislation
Police are seen at College green prior to the protest on Friday afternoon
Police officers with helmets and batons ready stand watch on College Green this afternoon
Police stand watch as young people go about their business in the student area of the city
‘In Avon and Somerset we remain committed to facilitating peaceful protest when it’s safe and lawful to do so, however gatherings remain a breach of COVID restrictions and risk increasing the spread of coronavirus.
‘We urge you not to come. ‘We do understand the strength of opposition to the new legislation being debated in Parliament.
‘Protest is a right which we’re asking people to be responsible about exercising right now. This is about public health and public safety at a time of pandemic.
‘Please consider making your voice heard in different ways – such as contacting your MP or signing one of the petitions available online.
‘Thirteen people were arrested after we asked people to disperse from Tuesday’s protest.
‘Ten of them were aged between 19 and 25 – young people who clearly have a social conscience, but who may now face a criminal conviction which could impact on their whole futures and their chances of making a real difference in society.
After violent clashes with officers saw a police vans set alight on Sunday, demonstrators are set to return to College Green in Bristol for a third protest last night
Fires were started and protestors clashed with police on Sunday. Chief Superintendent Claire Armes, Avon and Somerset Police’s head of operational support, urged people not to march this weekend
A burning piece of card was placed under a police van as fires raged behind on Sunday night
Yesterday police released an image of an 18th protester they wanted to speak to after a lit item was placed under a police van with an officer still inside
‘I want to make it clear. Peaceful protesters will be given the opportunity to disperse, but Bristol will not tolerate violent behaviour and we’re here to prevent it.’
Earlier in the week Avon and Somerset Police released photos of people they wish to trace over the disorder.
Yesterday they released footage of a lit item being placed underneath a police van, with an officer still inside, along with a picture of the man police would like to identify in connection with the incident.
The footage was released on the same day Avon and Somerst Police retracted claims that two officers had suffered broken bones amid the carnage.
A spokesman for the force told ITV: ‘At the time the Chief Constable did interviews on Monday morning, it was believed the officer may have suffered broken bones and a punctured lung.
‘Following further medical assessment, this was deemed not to be the case – but this officer’s injuries were serious enough to result in hospital treatment and a CT scan.
‘A second officer also suffered a suspected broken arm, but on further assessment this too was thankfully found not to be the case.’
An officer has described first hearing on the radio how colleagues were being injured outside the Bridewell police station.
They said: ‘I was aware from the radio that my colleagues were under attack outside the front of Bridewell police station where damage had been caused.
Urging people to stay at home, Ch Supt Armes said: ‘This is about public health and public safety at a time of pandemic’
Protestors are calling for an end to the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, which could see additional measures created to crackdown on demonstrations
Around 3,000 protestors gathered at Sunday’s demonstration, with fireworks let off in the street and little room for social distancing
The force is still looking to identify 17 people in connection with the unrest on Sunday night
‘I could hear screaming and shouting from the officers as they were being attacked – a call was made for vehicles to be used to assist officers.
‘The only way to protect my colleagues was to place the vehicle across, side on, in front of them to offer protection.
‘There were glass bottles, rocks as big as fists, pallets, fences and other objects strewn across the road and being used against the police.
Ch Supt Carolyn Belafonte, who is overseeing the investigation into the disorder, said: ‘This officer’s account is just one of many we’ve gathered from our colleagues at the scene of this terrifying incident.
‘It’s upsetting to hear how colleagues feared for their lives that night and it strengthens our resolve to bring all those responsible to justice.
Newly released footage, taken during the violent ‘Kill the Bill’ disorder in the city on Sunday, shows the moment a lit item was placed under a police van while a police officer was inside
‘Our investigation is continuing at pace but it is painstaking work.
‘Our online gallery, which currently has 18 images within it, has been viewed more than 80,000 times since it was launched – and we’ve received more than 200 calls and around 280 evidential submissions from the public to date.. This is a phenomenal response and we’re grateful for every piece of information.
‘I would ask people to look at the latest image we have released and call us if you know who it is – or you can provide information via a dedicated form on our website.‘
