Thousands of protesters gather in central London despite police warnings
Written by News on 13/06/2020
Crowds have gathered in central London despite police warnings to avoid demonstrations.
Several protests are scheduled in the capital, including demonstrations by Black Lives Matter as well as counter-demonstrations.
Sky’s Mark White said there had already been “violent scuffles” near the boarded-up statue of Sir Winston Churchill adding “there are some elements within here who have already clashed with the police.”
Counter-demonstrators clashed with police close to Westminster Bridge, with glass bottles thrown towards the officers and their vans.
Large crowds gathered in Parliament Square and marched towards the covered Churchill monument.
Some protesters sang Rule Britannia and the national anthem and started banging on the sides of the covering, claiming they were there to protect statues from the Black Lives Matters rallies.
Home Secretary Priti Patel described the clashes with police as “thoroughly unacceptable thuggery”.
She tweeted: “Any perpetrators of violence or vandalism should expect to face the full force of the law.
“Violence towards our police officers will not be tolerated. Coronavirus remains a threat to us all. Go home to stop the spread of this virus & save lives.”
Protesters in London have been told by police they must be off the streets by 5pm today.
The restriction is an attempt to avoid a repeat of last week’s violent clashes with police during Black Lives Matter protests.
And protesters are being asked to keep to the planned march route, which runs from Hyde Park to Whitehall.
The conditions have been set under section 12 of the Public Order Act.
Today the Metropolitan Police announced it had imposed a section 60 order under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act, which gives police the right to search people in a defined area during a specific time period.
It came into force at 11am on Saturday and will run until 2am on Sunday, 14 June.
It covers the areas of:
– Bayswater Road across to Holborn
– Kingsway to Elephant and Castle
– Kennington Lane to Battersea Park Road
– Kensington Road to Queenstown Road
Metropolitan Police Commander Bas Javid said he understood the depth of feeling of protesters but urged people not to come into London.
“If you were planning to come to London, I again would urge you to reconsider, but if you are still intent, please familiarise yourself with what the conditions are,” he said.
“Please keep yourself safe by complying with government guidance on social distancing.”
He also promised a “robust” response to any disorder at protests this weekend.
“The safety of protesters, officers and the public this weekend is of the upmost importance, and it is for that exact reason why we have consulted with colleagues and partners, and decided it is proportionate to put in place a Section 60,” he said.
“It is our job to protect those who are coming into central London today, and this tactic is one of the best available to us, which allows us to seize offensive weapons that have absolutely no place on our streets at any time of the day.”
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He added: “We will not tolerate any violent disorder like we saw last weekend – and anyone who thinks they can commit a crime or vandalise property will be arrested.”
Last week’s protests were sparked by the killing of American George Floyd, a black man who died in Minneapolis last month after a white police officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes.
The UK’s National Police Chiefs’ Council said on Friday that more than 130 people have been arrested during almost 200 demonstrations across Britain since the death of Mr Floyd.
More than 60 police officers have also been injured.
Race and Revolution: Is Change Going to Come?
Sky News will broadcast a global debate show on Tuesday night at 8pm – looking at the issues raised by the Black Lives Matter protests, and examining institutional racism and how we fix it.
If you would like to be part of our virtual audience, and have a chance of putting a question to our panel, please send your name, location and question to newsdebates@sky.uk
(c) Sky News 2020: Thousands of protesters gather in central London despite police warnings
