UK - Brixton: 22 officers injured and police cars smashed after street party

[MenInG]

Twenty two officers have been injured and police cars smashed up during "significant disorder" following a street party in Brixton overnight.

Footage on social media showed a line of police retreating from crowds of people running at them with makeshift weapons on Cecilia Road near the Angell Town estate in Brixton on Wednesday night.

Police said they were called by concerned residents to the illegal street party but were met by a "hostile" crowd.

Bottles were thrown at the officers and in one video a man appeared to be brandishing a long pole at them as he said: "Back up."

Another two men were seen carrying a large wooden table before ripping its legs off and running at the police who started to run away as the crowd descended on them.

Two men could be seen on top of a police vehicle smashing in the windscreen with a table leg and their feet.

Another man had what appeared to be a plank of wood and was hitting the back of a police van with it before it was driven off.

After the police had gone, footage showed some of the crowd fighting each other.

Home secretary Priti Patel called the incident "vile".

She tweeted: "These are utterly vile scenes. Just last weekend, the whole country came together to praise our heroic police officers for putting their own lives on the line to keep us safe.

"I'll be picking up with the Met Commissioner immediately."

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: "I'm in touch with the Met about the completely unacceptable events in Brixton overnight.

"Violence against the police will not be tolerated. Large gatherings during COVID-19 are deeply irresponsible and risk others' lives."

A Met Police statement said officers were called to the scene on Wednesday evening after numerous calls from residents about a large unlicensed street party.

Officers tried to encourage the crowd to leave as large gatherings are not allowed due to the coronavirus lockdown, but "they did not engage with police", the statement said.

More officers were called to the scene and the group became hostile towards them and, despite a dispersal zone order being granted, the crowd remained.

None of the officers were seriously injured, but two required hospital treatment.

Four people were arrested for assault and public order offences and remain in police custody.

The crowd eventually left in the early hours of Thursday and police are now carrying out stop and search orders in the area "to prevent violence", the statement said.

Lambeth Borough Commander Colin Wingrove said: "Our role is to protect the public and ensure guidelines are adhered to in order to prevent the spread of Covid-19 protecting the NHS and save lives

"Our officers work incredibly hard to engage and explain the public health message and regulations to prevent such gatherings occurring."

He called the gatherings "unlawful" and said they pose a risk to public health.

"The violence shown towards officers is totally unacceptable and we will not tolerate it in any form," he added.

"An investigation into the incident is now taking place and those involved will be brought to justice."

https://news.sky.com/story/brixton-...lice-cars-smashed-after-street-party-12014423

 

[Bewal Express]

So the Police are being beaten for upholding the law.

 

[MenInG]

The UK prime minister's official spokesman has condemned "appalling scenes" at an illegal street party in Brixton, south-west London, on Wednesday night, during which 22 police officers were hurt.

The prime minister's spokesman said: "These were appalling scenes, violence against the police will not be tolerated."

He added that "anyone who assaults police or emergency services workers should feel the full force of the law".

The government will soon begin a consultation on doubling the maximum sentence for assaulting an emergency worker, the spokesman confirmed.

 

[Firebat]

Hope these lunatic idiots are prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

 

[MenInG]

For the second night running, police were attacked as they tried to break up an illegal party in London.

The Metropolitan Police said objects were thrown at officers as they tried to disperse the crowds at an "unlicensed music event" in Notting Hill, west London, but there were no serious injuries.

Officers also broke up another illegal party on Streatham Common in south London.

It comes after Downing Street condemned clashes at a Wednesday night street party involving about 400 people in Brixton, south London, during which 22 police officers were injured.

Lockdown measures are still in place in England, which means large gatherings are illegal. We have more on the developments of Thursday night.

 

[MenInG]

Police officers attempting to disperse crowds at an illegal rave in Notting Hill, west London, have been attacked by revellers.

Objects were thrown at officers in Colville Gardens, police said. There were no reports of serious injury and the crowd dispersed at around 2am.

Sky News reporter Noel Phillips attended the scene of a separate illegal rave in Tottenham, north London, where police officers congregated near a crowd of people outside a venue.

Environment Secretary George Eustice told Sky News the violence "against the police who are just doing their jobs is totally unacceptable".

"I know the home secretary has already made that clear," he said.

"We know months of restrictions that people are frustrated and want to come together in gatherings. But these illegal raves are obviously unacceptable."

Earlier, the Met Police said extra police officers had been deployed across London overnight as further illegal raves, music events and block parties were anticipated.

Officers also attended an "unlicensed music event" at Streatham Common in south London on Thursday evening.

The force tweeted at 12.43am: "They have engaged with a large number of those in attendance and the crowd has now almost entirely dispersed."

It comes after more than 20 officers were injured and police cars were smashed up during an illegal street party in Brixton, south London, on Wednesday night.

Police said they will continue to engage with communities and respond to emergency calls as usual, but "will not tolerate the violence we have recently seen in London".

Commander Bas Javid said: "We remain in a public health crisis and these unlicensed events are illegal.

15 police officers were injured during the confrontation with those at a street party

"Our role is to keep our communities safe and this evening people can expect to see a heightened police presence out in areas where we know these events are taking place.

"This is in direct response to concerns expressed by our communities, many of whom were scared and shocked by the events taking place outside their homes."

Mr Javid said that the additional officers have been equipped with enhanced personal protective gear and may have teams from the Dog Support Unit with them.

He added: "We cannot accept the levels of violence that were directed towards our officers... and the damage caused to public and private property."

Home Secretary Priti Patel said those who attack police "will be taken off our streets", telling the Daily Express: "The police have my full support in upholding the rule of law and tackling this thuggery.

"I want to see those responsible arrested, brought to justice and taken off our streets - before they put even more people in danger."

Footage on social media from Wednesday night showed a line of police officers retreating from crowds of people running at them with makeshift weapons near the Angell Town estate in Brixton.

Police said they were called by concerned residents to the illegal street party but were met by a "hostile" crowd.

Ken Marsh, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said that nearly 30 officers were hurt in the incident.

He said it was "absolutely shocking", adding: "We are rufty-tufty and can deal with violent disorder but it's not pleasant and it's not nice to have to go somewhere where someone wants to try and kill you."

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said that large gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic are "deeply irresponsible and risk others' lives".

A Section 60 order, which gives police powers to stop and search without reasonable suspicion, was later put in place in the area.

https://news.sky.com/story/extra-po...don-as-more-illegal-raves-take-place-12014936

 

[Robert]

People are irresponsible. Brixton, Notting Hill and on the beaches.

But the Govt is to blame for not sacking Cummings. That set a rotten example. Why should the people behave if the govt don’t?

 

[MenInG]

Bottles were thrown at police officers who moved in to break up a street party in west London.

Footage on social media showed scores of young people in a stand-off with officers in riot gear outside a block of flats on Harrow Road on Friday afternoon.

One video showed police being hit by projectiles, with one officer swinging his baton at a group of people on the street.

Sky News home affairs editor Mark White tweeted: "[Police] trying to engage and persuade those attending to disperse, but some bottles and other objects have been thrown at officers."

Later he said that around 100 public order police officers had been called to an unlicensed music event in Maida Vale.

"Sky team on the ground reports some bottles and other objects thrown towards officers," he added.

It comes just hours after Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick revealed that around 140 police officers have been injured in London during the last three weeks.

Dame Cressida said the aggression shown to officers at recent illegal street parties in the capital has been "utterly unacceptable".

As well as a number of illegal street parties in recent days, there have been protests and counter-protests over the death of George Floyd in police custody in the US.

She said police have a duty to disperse large gatherings while restrictions are in place to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

On Wednesday in the capital, an unlicensed street party in Brixton turned violent and on Thursday it was Notting Hill.

Other illegal gatherings have been seen in Streatham and Tottenham, Ms Dick said.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman was quoted in the Evening Standard as saying: "Police are responding to an unlicensed music event on Harrow Road, W9.

"Officers were called to the location around 3pm following concerns from residents.

"Officers engaged with the attendees, who refused to leave the location. The police helicopter is also assisting.

"Following engagement within the local community we are hopeful that crowds are dispersing. No arrests at this stage."

"A section 60 has been authorised in the vicinity until 6am on Saturday 27 June.

"Officers will remain in the area in order to provide reassurance."

https://news.sky.com/story/bottles-...s-during-another-london-street-party-12015729

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Public order officers now moving in to try to disperse an unlicensed music event in Riverton Close, Maida Vale in west London. Sky team on the ground reports some bottles and other objects thrown towards officers. <a href="https://t.co/nDBaUd9q7H">pic.twitter.com/nDBaUd9q7H</a></p>— Mark White (@skymarkwhite) <a href="https://twitter.com/skymarkwhite/status/1276660310678659072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[MenInG]

The home secretary has said the behaviour of protesters and partiers breaking distancing rules is "unacceptable" and warned that anyone assaulting police officers would "face the full force of the law".

Priti Patel condemned the assault against 30 officers who were hurt while shutting down an illegal rave and pockets of violence at a Black Lives Matter demonstration in recent weeks.

She also urged sunseekers to "think about other people" and not spread COVID-19, after thousands packed Bournemouth beach days ago.

Ms Patel said there were 30,000 assaults on police last year and that she will be pushing to double sentences for attacks on emergency service workers.

She added the number of protests and parties as coronavirus emergency measures are eased is "growing".

"I would urge people not to participate in gatherings of that nature or protest," she told Sky News' Sophy Ridge on Sunday.


"If people do assault police officers, they will face the full force of the law. That is absolutely the right approach.

"It is simply unacceptable to have people gathering in some of these awful ways we've been seeing."

Ms Patel denied some may feel they were given licence to ignore the rules by the prime minister defending his chief aide Dominic Cummings for making a 30-minute trip police say may have broken the rules to allegedly test his eyesight while everyone was being told to "stay at home".

"Of course it's not" true, she said. "That issue has been and gone."

Appealing to beachgoers not to pack on to seafronts and break social distancing rules, the home secretary added: "The public need to think about other people as well in terms of spreading the virus.

"They themselves may not know they're carrying the virus and they could be spreading that within the community and passing that on to other people

"We all have to take responsibility, we all have to act conscientiously."

But the UK government came under fire from Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford, who accused Boris Johnson of telling people "it's all over and you can go back to doing what you did before".

He claimed the policy in England was to make announcements first, then figure out how to make them work, but "we will continue to do things in the way we've done things in Wales - carefully, cautiously, one step at a time".

Sir Mark Walport, a former chief scientific adviser, did say ministers in Whitehall "have been listening to the science throughout".

But when asked if lockdown came too late, said: "History will probably show that it did."

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavi...-will-feel-the-full-force-of-the-law-12016601

 

[Firebat]

Two illegal street parties in London closed down by police

Two illegal street parties have been broken up by police during another night of unlawful gatherings in London.

Dispersal zones were put in place in Clapham Common and Tooting Bec Common to clear crowds causing "significant disruptions" on Saturday night.

The zones allow uniformed officers extra powers to order people to leave the area and not return.

UK Home Secretary Priti Patel has called on people not to attend street parties, protests or mass celebrations.

Speaking on BBC One's The Andrew Marr Show, she said: "As much as people do want to be out right now - the weather is amazing - stick to the rules, follow the guidance."

Spoiler

'Be conscientious'

She said the rise of mass gatherings held in recent days was "unacceptable" and that it risked a second wave of Covid-19 which would devastate the UK economy.

Ms Patel said "thuggishness and violent behaviour is simply unacceptable", and that more resources would be made available to the police if needed.

She also encouraged people to follow rules and guidance when pubs and restaurants begin to reopen next weekend.

The Met said unlicensed music events were "unlawful", "unregulated" and officers would close them down.

It said police were "building relationships" with communities as illegal street parties continued to be held.

On Friday unlicensed events were held in Newham and another in Kensal Town which then moved on to Maida Vale.

On Wednesday, more than 20 police officers were injured during clashes at an illegal street party in Brixton and on Thursday night, officers were pelted with objects while trying to disperse a party in Notting Hill.

Police attended the latest unlawful events and remained at Clapham Common and Tooting Bec Common until people had left.

The Met said: "We understand the impact these are having on the local community, officers will remain at both scenes until the events are cleared."

It said unlicensed music events are organised gatherings which are covered by different legislation to people not socially distancing in parks.

Met Commander Bas Javid said: "We're maintaining a significant policing presence in London tonight.

"That's because throughout the last week we've seen a series of unlicensed music events take place across London, some of which have descended into disorder.

"These events are unlawful, they are unregulated and we will take a very firm position against them."

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-53208632

 

[MenInG]

Seven officers have been injured after police tried to break up an unlicensed music event in west London.

Police were called to White City on Friday evening following reports of a number of people gathered at an estate.

Bricks and other missiles were thrown at police when they tried to speak to the group, forcing them to back away before more officers arrived.

None of the injuries are said to be life-threatening. The violence was "totally unacceptable", the Met said.

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: "It's disgraceful that police officers came under attack with some suffering injuries at an illegal gathering in White City last night.

"Violence against the police will not be tolerated and perpetrators will be caught and prosecuted."

He added that extra police would be out on Saturday.

Local resident Dave Kayani, who filmed what happened, said when the police initially arrived, they looked like "traffic wardens".

"They stopped people going into the block and after a while people were getting agitated."

"The police started to march in, with no riot gear and shouting.

"Some of the people were riled up and started to run towards the police, who started retreating," he said.

Mr Kayani said riot police arrived about 20 minutes later.

"A bottle hit my leg, not glass. I was okay. It was quite terrifying," he said, adding that a neighbour had his car window smashed with stones thrown by people.

He said a few illegal parties have been held recently, but this was the biggest.

'Bricks'
Police were called by residents complaining about a large gathering, noise, anti-social behaviour and violence.

Officers trained to deal with public disorder were met with hostility and violence, police said.

A Dispersal Zone has been authorised in the area while a section 60 order is also now in place.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said seven officers had suffered injuries as a result of the clashes.

"These gatherings are illegal and also pose a risk to public health.

"The violence shown towards officers this evening was totally unacceptable and we will not tolerate it in any form. Officers encountered bricks and other missiles being thrown at them."

Police in the capital have been called in to break up a number of illegal gatherings in the past fortnight, with more than 20 officers hurt at a gathering in Brixton, south London, on 24 June.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-53288489