By V4 Agency
On Sunday, Bristol saw violent demonstrations over a bill that would confer new powers to police. Far-left protesters clashed with police and burnt several vehicles.
Bristol saw clashes at a demonstration against a bill that would allow police to crack down on violent protests like the 2020 BLM rallies. The UK policing bill would make it easier for authorities to enforce rules at protests and penalise protesters who refuse to cooperate.
Several officers were injured during the protest, with one suffering a fractured arm and the other broken ribs, authorities reported.
Protesters threw fireworks at police, daubed graffitis on the walls of a police station, damaged and set ablaze police vehicles. Two extremist anarchists crouched and defecated at the feet of the line of officers.
Authorities condemned the violence as early as Sunday evening. British Home Secretary Priti Patel said the scenes in Bristol were unacceptable. She wrote:
“These scenes are absolutely disgraceful”, the Avon and Somerset Police wrote in a statement, adding that “All those involved in this criminal behaviour will be identified and brought to justice.”
Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees said on Sunday that the problems of the Policing Bill were visible, but stated that smashing buildings in the city centre, damaging vehicles and attacking police will not help solve the problem.
Reform UK party President Nigel Farage published a video on Facebook, in which he said: “In Bristol tonight we see what the soft-headed approach to the anti-police BLM leads to. … These people want all-out anarchy and street violence.”