Bristol 'Kill The Bill' protest: 20 officers injured - 2 seriously - by rioters who came for fight

[OMB]

One protester describes the scenes as "embarrassing" and says the violence will be used to justify increasing police powers.

Violence that broke out during a "Kill The Bill" protest was caused by people who "came for a fight with police", Bristol's chief constable has said.

The event was organised to protest against the government's Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill that would increase police powers to deal with non-violent demonstrations.

However, what started out peacefully on Sunday afternoon turned ugly after hundreds of protesters marched from College Green to the New Bridewell police station.

Twenty police officers were injured, two seriously, with one suffering broken bones and another with a suspected punctured lung, during violent skirmishes with masked thugs.

Andy Marsh, of Avon and Somerset Police, told Sky News a number of those protesting "came for a fight with the police".

"It was a terrifying scene. Neighbourhood officers were effectively trapped inside the building with people on the roofs throwing fireworks at them, hurling projectiles.

"And the other officers outside doing their very best to protect everyone present.

"It really was a disgraceful scene committed by criminals. I don't believe this was a protest.

"It wasn't people frustrated with the lack of ability to protest - this was people intent on causing serious disorder, violence and damage, people with a grudge against policing.

"The people involved in assaulting the officers, burning out vehicles, damaging vehicles, smashing windows, hurling projectiles from the multi-storey car park, throwing things at our horses and dogs - they were people who came for a fight with the police.

"We did everything that we could to try to calm the situation… to disperse that crowd to encourage them to leave but ultimately it unfortunately turned to violence."

Rioters smashed the windows of the police station and also destroyed police vehicles parked nearby, setting fire to a car and a van.

Cars parked in a multi-storey car park next to the police station were also damaged by protesters.

Bristol's mayor Marvin Rees said he had "major concerns" about the bill, but condemned the violence.

He told Sky News: "I'm furious. It's the level of political illiteracy of these thugs which is really a problem here.

"How will what they did yesterday lessen the likelihood of this bill going through?

"What they have done will just be put in the evidence bag of those who want the bill to go through.

"They will also increase the likelihood of people in communities that have been on the rough end of the criminal justice system, remaining on the rough end of the criminal justice system."

Home Secretary Priti Patel tweeted about the "unacceptable scenes".

"Thuggery and disorder by a minority will never be tolerated," she wrote.

"Our police officers put themselves in harm's way to protect us all.

"My thoughts this evening are with those police officers injured."

Sue Mountstevens, police and crime commissioner for Avon and Somerset, said seven people had been arrested so far and there would be "many more" detained.

"It's disgraceful and outrageous.

"There will be warrants, there will be arrests and police will be checking on the CCTV. There will be further arrests in the next few hours and days."

One protester told Sky News: "I think it was important to be down here when things are peaceful because the right to protest is crucial to any democracy obviously.

"This however, is a little bit embarrassing for the city of Bristol.

"This is not a peaceful protest. It's just going to be used against us as evidence to keep our right to protest away from us."
The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill would give officers in England and Wales more power to impose conditions on non-violent protests, including those deemed to be too noisy or a nuisance.

Those convicted under the proposed legislation could face a fine or jail.

https://news.sky.com/story/bristol-kill-the-bill-protest-20-officers-injured-two-seriously-by-rioters-who-came-for-fight-with-police-12253360

 

[Robert]

As often happens, a legitimate peaceful protest has been hijacked by the usual rent-a-communists and thugs who like a ruck.

 

[MenInG]

Disgusting behaviour by louts.

 

[sweep_shot]

Really pathetic behavior. I hope the culprits will face consequences.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Really pathetic behavior. I hope the culprits will face consequences.

Dont fall for the BBC & Government propaganda.

Thousands of people all over the UK were rightly protesting lockdown and new laws. The police use heavy handed tactics, attacking peacful protesters which ignites others to defend them, at the same a few do attack police. But instead of a huge issue being discussed they are using the odd violence to go ahead with their droconian laws.

UK is going down the toilet, not only the economy, social unrest but also freedoms.

 

[sweep_shot]

Dont fall for the BBC & Government propaganda.

Thousands of people all over the UK were rightly protesting lockdown and new laws. The police use heavy handed tactics, attacking peacful protesters which ignites others to defend them, at the same a few do attack police. But instead of a huge issue being discussed they are using the odd violence to go ahead with their droconian laws.

UK is going down the toilet, not only the economy, social unrest but also freedoms.

I see. I hope things will get better.

 

[KingKhanWC]

I see. I hope things will get better.

Be glad you're living in Canada.

The economy is in real trouble, it will re-bound in the summer but the long term effects will ruin many peoples lives here. These laws are being introducted for such an event if the economy collapses to a point there are mass job losses, inflation etc. UK government doesnt care one bit for its' people, otherwise it wouldnt have disgraced nurses by offering them 1% pay rise. Scotland needs independence, they have given nurses 4% pay rise. At the same time Boris is building a bunker for nearly £10 million as well as spending millions on nukes.

The close minded observers will allow the government do as it wills in a type of facist way but instead attack normal people who have been suffering.

 

[MenInG]

Bricks, glass bottles and eggs have been thrown at officers during a third "Kill the Bill" demonstration in Bristol - with the police saying that protesters shone lasers in their faces.

Fireworks were also launched at Avon and Somerset Police's mounted division, with one force covered in paint.

More than 1,000 people were rallying in the city centre, but tensions rose at 10pm last night as officers wearing helmets and holding shields began calling for the crowd to disperse.

Ten arrests have been made - and three of those held had also been detained in connection with the violent disorder seen last Sunday.

Superintendent Mark Runacres said: "The majority of people acted peacefully however there was a minority who showed hostility to officers."

Sky's correspondent Dan Whitehead, who was in Bristol, reported that the police opted to change tactics five hours into the protest because protesters weren't going home - and said crowds eventually dispersed.

Matthew Dresch, a journalist with the Daily Mirror, has claimed that he was assaulted by officers during the protest despite declaring that he was from the press.

"I was respectfully observing what was happening and posed no threat to any of the officers," he wrote in a tweet that contained video of the incident.

Demonstrators could be heard chanting "Justice for Sarah" and "Who do you protect?", and some of those present were seen dancing to music despite heavy rain.

A large police presence was on duty throughout the night, with horses and dogs used to help move the crowd back.

All of the animals reportedly returned to their bases safely after they were "pelted with glass bottles, rocks and fireworks", according to a Facebook post by the owner of the police dog that prompted a change in the law over prosecutions for harming police animals.

Rows of officers and vans were used to block the protesters from Bridewell police station, where a number of police vehicles had been set alight during violent scenes last Sunday.

Officers had previously urged people not to attend last night's demonstration because of the risk of spreading COVID-19.

Friday's protest - which was against the government's Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill - had started peacefully, and the size of the crowd grew as the evening progressed.

The bill would give police in England and Wales more power to impose conditions on non-violent protests, including those deemed too noisy or a nuisance.

Those convicted under the proposed legislation could face a fine or a jail term.

Nine people were arrested in connection with last Sunday's disorder in Bristol, while 15 others were held following a second protest on Tuesday night.

Earlier on Friday, the National Police Chiefs' Council had warned violent protesters will "face the full weight of the law".

Martin Hewitt added: "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 also claimed a number of people who attended the demonstration were "intent on causing violence and causing damage" - and those arrested came from "all over the United Kingdom".

Mr Hewitt went on to confirm that one of those who has been imprisoned following last Sunday's unrest was someone already on bail for assaulting police officers.

https://news.sky.com/story/bristol-...ng-sit-down-demonstration-in-bristol-12257872

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-politics-protests/thousands-join-kill-the-bill-rallies-across-britain-against-proposed-protest-law-idUSKBN2BQ007?il=0

Thousands of demonstrators joined rallies across Britain on Saturday as part of a “national weekend of action” against a proposed new law that would give police extra powers to curb protests. Scuffles broke out in the evening between police and protesters at one gathering in central London.

“The policing operation in central London has now moved to the enforcement stage and arrests are being made,” police said. “Officers continue to engage and we urge those who remain in the area to leave and return home.”

The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts bill aims to toughen measures officers can take to disperse demonstrations, such as imposing time and noise limits, which campaigners and activists fear would be used to curb dissent.

“Kill the bill” marches were held in dozens of towns and cities on Saturday, supported by big campaign groups such as climate change campaigners Extinction Rebellion and the Black Lives Matter movement.

“(I’m here) to defend the rights of free speech, and the rights of organisations in our society,” said Jeremy Corbyn, the former leader of the opposition Labour Party who was among several thousand who demonstrated in central London.

“These demonstrations, 50 of them today, will make a difference,” he told Reuters opposite the Houses of Parliament.

Since the bill was brought before parliament last month, there have been sporadic protests. In the southwestern English city of Bristol, the demonstrations have turned violent with officers bombarded with missiles and police vehicles set on fire.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has criticised the “disgraceful attacks” on officers, but protesters have accused police of using heavy-handed tactics.

A large crowd gathered again in Bristol on Saturday evening, although the rally there was peaceful.

Days of protests by Extinction Rebellion, which paralysed parts of London in early 2019, fuelled calls from some politicians for the police to be given the tougher powers to prevent disruption.

Demonstrations had not been permitted while a coronavirus lockdown was in place, but restrictions were eased this week, meaning the rallies could go ahead providing they were “COVID secure”.

Some senior officers have said the “kill the bill” tag was deliberately provocative as “the bill” is a nickname in Britain for the police.

 

[James]

UK is going down the toilet, not only the economy, social unrest but also freedoms.

Agreed, our country is in a particularly poor and unhappy place at the moment. There is violent crime and hate everywhere. The government is doing a dismal job in many areas and this is causing a general rot — but I think the problems are more deeply rooted than have been exclusively caused by the Conservative Party, or by Labour before them. The Tories of course definitely have a lot to answer for, going back to Margaret Thatcher’s premiership most likely.

 

[Bigboii]

^
I don't know about the damage she caused to Britain
but for some reason, MT is extremely popular in the US, after the queen probably one of the most famous British personalities in the States