Thousands of Britons rose up until the early hours on Monday against plans to give British police new powers to quell the protests – injuring 20 police officers, including one with a leaky lung, officials said.
At least 5,000 people initially took part in Bristol’s afternoon protests against the planned legislation, BristolLive said, with many holding signs condemning a dreaded ‘police state’ and ‘dictatorship’.
The so-called “Kill the Bill” protests turned violent when “several thousand” people ended up at a city police station in southwest England – sparking fiery uproar for hours, the local outlet said.
After rioters tried to knock over a police van, officers were caught on two fronts, the outlet said – with police vehicles also being set on fire and smashed into police station windows. Some of the crowd even managed to get to 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 push back against the rioters, the outlet said.
20 officers were injured in the violence. Two of them were hospitalized with broken bones, including one who had also contracted a leaky lung, Avon and Somerset police said.
The protests were against the government bill, the Police, Crime, Conviction and Courts Act, currently under discussion in parliament, which would give the police new powers to impose time and noise restrictions to street protests. The name of the protest, ‘Kill the Bill’, also has ominous overtones as the British police are commonly referred to as ‘the Bill’.
While only seven people were arrested during the night, police launched “one of the biggest calls for wanted suspects we have ever made,” said Chief Andy Marsh.
“The willful violence and destruction had nothing to do with protest – it was perpetrated by those seeking an excuse to commit disorder,” the top agent said in a statement condemning the “shameful” scenes.
“Officers were pelted with rocks and rockets and fireworks and it was a terrifying situation for them,” he said. At least 12 police vehicles have been destroyed after the protest was “hijacked by extremists,” he said.
British Home Secretary Priti Patel also tore the “Unacceptable scenes.”
“Minority crime and disorder will never be tolerated,” she tweeted.
Sue Mountstevens, police and crime commissioner for the Avon and Somerset region, called the riots “disgraceful and outrageous”.
“Police officers went to work yesterday and some have returned home from hospital battered and bruised,” she said.
Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees – who is against the new legislation – told “Good Morning Britain” on Monday when the rioters were only using it as an excuse to “wreck our town” and actually harmed their cause.
“It will be used as evidence by people who want to support the bill,” he said.
With Post Wires