LiveUpdated
Saturday 13 June 2020 16:36
Follow all the latest updates as anti-racism protests take place across the UK
Demonstrators have attacked police during violent clashes in central London, as football hooligans, veterans and far-right groups descended on the capital vowing to “defend” memorials.
People have reportedly hurled bottles and fireworks and attempted to storm through barriers as police hold them back, while footage showed others throwing punches at officers dressed in riot gear.
Home secretary Priti Patel condemned the “unacceptable thuggery” of protesters, while London mayor Sadiq Khan warned ”perpetrators will feel the full force of the law”.
A man has been photographed urinating right next to a memorial to murdered police officer Keith Palmer outside the Palace of Westminster.
The unarmed police officer was stabbed to death by Khalid Masood in the Westminster terror attack on 22 March 2017.
Demonstrators throw bottles and run into police
Colin Drury reports.
Footage posted to social media shows demonstrators throwing missiles – including empty vodka bottles – at officers near Parliament Square.
A separate video showed a group of protesters launching punches at police officers dressed in riot gear.
A few hundred people remain in the area around the Houses of Parliament and the statue of Churchill.
They remain gathered around an hour ahead of the 5pm deadline imposed by police for protests to end.
His comments came after BBC journalist Vinnie O’Dowd tweeted this video of police officers being kicked in the back, with one being sent flying to the ground, near Big Ben.
My colleague Vincent Wood is at the scene of the protests near the Cenotaph.
Missiles can be seen being thrown at police, while people at the front of the crowd swear and hurl abuse at a line of police officers in riot gear.
The BBC has aerial footage showing what the protests in Trafalgar Square in London look like from above.
Several hundred people have gathered at the Cenotaph in Bristol city centre.
Protesters held up ‘All Lives Matter’ banners, but denied they were far-right supporters.
Among those gathered was a large contingent of bikers who parked their motorbikes next to the war memorial.
Video posted on social media showed several protesters removing the Black Lives Matter placards which had been left at the plinth where the statue of slave trader Edward Colston stood until last weekend when it was pulled down and dumped in Bristol Harbour.
There has been a large police presence in the centre of Bristol watching those gathered, although from a distance. Among the dozens of police on duty were dog handlers and mounted officers.
PA reports.
Some demonstrators have jumped a fence into the grounds of Westminster Abbey in order to leave.
A group that clashed with police close to the Cenotaph have now moved and demonstrators are now throwing bottles at officers close to Westminster Bridge.
PA reports.
Police are trying to stop them getting to Hyde Park where a Black Lives Matter demonstration, which has largely been peaceful, is taking place.
London mayor Sadiq Khan has reiterated calls for people to stay away from protests today, warning that “perpetrators will feel the full force of the law”.
He branded scenes from clashes between police and crowds in London as “totally unacceptable”.
Home secretary Priti Patel has condemned scenes of police being pelted with bottles after clashing with large crowds in central London as “unacceptable thuggery”.
Hundreds of people converged on Parliament Square this morning after far-right groups, including Britain First, called on supporters to “guard the monuments”.
But instead they have been filmed kicking down barriers and throwing missiles at police in riot gear.
Labour MP and shadow Home Office minister Jess Phillips has tweeted: “Watching scenes today outside my place of work is harrowing.
“These people have caused me to be scared in my home, at my work. My family and I have to carry devices for our security.
PA reports.
At least one officer had a baton held up towards the protesters who are chanting “You let your country down”, towards them.
Other protesters in Parliament Square have marched towards the boarded-up monument of Churchill.
Singing Rule Britannia and the national anthem, some had started banging on the sides of the covering.
Demonstrators have clashed violently with police officers in London’s Parliament Square on Saturday afternoon.
Videos posted on social media show protesters throwing bottles and other objects at police, who are wearing protective gear.
The BBC’s Vinnie O’Dowd has published this video on Twitter of the scuffles:
Protesters in Bristol have gathered around the plinth on which a statue of the slave trader Edward Colston stood unlike it was toppled last weekend.
In footage seen on social media, the police are present and are monitoring the situation in the city centre:
After being pulled down by Black Lives Matter protesters on Sunday, the statue of Colston was thrown into the Avon. It was retrieved by Bristol City Council on Thursday morning and will be housed in a museum at a later date.
Police on horseback and with shields and helmets have arrived at the demonstration, and around 100 protesters have returned to the barrier of officers near the Cenotaph, chanting Lee Rigby’s name and singing the national anthem, PA reports.
Glass bottles, including a large vodka bottle, and cans have been thrown towards the line of helmeted officers.
The BBC’s home affairs correspondent Dominic Casciani has posted this video of protesters in Whitehall:
Clashes are feared this weekend between Black Lives Matter protesters, football hooligans, veterans and far-right groups who have vowed to “defend” memorials.
The London faction of Black Lives Matter cancelled an official demonstration on Saturday after the Democratic Football Lads Alliance (DFLA), Tommy Robinson and Britain First called for supporters to travel to the capital.
Our home affairs correspondent Lizzie Dearden explains:
Police have been granted extra stop and search powers covering large parts of central London after learning people are “coming into London to cause harm” during weekend protests and are “likely to bring weapons”.
The section 60 order is in place from 11am on Saturday to 2am on Sunday in the areas of:
– Bayswater Road across to Holborn
– Kingsway to Elephant and Castle
– Kennington Lane to Battersea Park Road
– Kensington Road to Queenstown Road
The Metropolitan Police said in a statement: “As part of our planning for this weekend, we have learnt some people are coming into London to cause harm and are likely to bring weapons with them.
“The Met have been working hard to ensure those people who are coming to London to voice their concerns are kept safe. Unfortunately, we are also aware there are some who are distorting that message and we believe are intent on causing harm.
“Due to the information received, and our need to keep people safe, we are now implementing a section 60 into the areas of protests.”
Churchill’s grandson condemns ‘disgusting’ defacing of statue
Sir Winston Churchill’s grandson has said he was “deeply upset” after his grandfather’s statue was defaced and has been boarded up ahead of more expected anti-racism protests in London.
Former Conservative minister Sir Nicholas Soames told the Daily Telegraph the incident, in which the word “racist” was scrawled on the monument, shows British society has “lost its compass”.
It comes as Home Secretary Priti Patel reportedly called for the statue in Parliament Square to be uncovered “immediately”.
Sir Nicholas backed PM Boris Johnson’s condemnation of disorder during last weekend’s Black Lives Matter protests, and said London mayor Sadiq Khan was right to heed police advice and board up the statue and the nearby Cenotaph.
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