Million Mask march put officers' lives at risk – police chief

Million Mask march put officers' lives at risk – police chief

 

Cdr Harrington said a significant number of the 700-1,000 protesters came ‘intent on violence or disorder’. Photograph: Jack Taylor/AFP/Getty Images

The violence at an anti-austerity protest in central London on Thursday night was so serious that it threatened the lives of officers, a police chief has said. Detectives are hunting for those who brought violence to London’s streets during the Million Mask March. Four officers were injured and several police horses were attacked in the unrest.

Scotland Yard’s most senior public order officer, Commander Ben-Julian Harrington, told the Guardian that officers had placed themselves in the way of protesters who wanted to attack symbols of Britain’s democracy and establishment.

Fifty people were arrested during the mayhem and at least 10 others are being sought by police in connection with the violence. Detectives are scouring video footage on social media for the identities of suspects. The protest, which was billed as an anti-austerity march, led to some of the most violent scenes on the capital’s streets in recent months, including the burning of a police car.

 

                    

 

Central London demonstration descends into chaos leaving marchers injured, patrol car torched and three officers in hospital Harrington said police officers had faced potentially extreme danger, with a significant number of the 700-1,000 people there to protest intent on violence or disorder. “If you have fireworks, lasers, if you are fighting [officers] using sticks, the obvious consequence is serious injury, and that is going to be a threat to their lives,” he said.

 

One officer was thrown from his horse after an attack by a firework, while other officers resisted attempts to push through their lines as they protected political and state buildings.

Harrington said some officers were attacked because they were in the protesters’ way, and some were targeted because they were seen as symbols of the state. He said the 2,000 officers had acted with “professionalism and restraint” and allowed “the government to operate properly, so it can’t be overrun by protesters”.

Of the 50 arrests, at least 27 were for public order offences and two on suspicion of assaulting a police officer, Scotland Yard said. One man has since been charged with the latter offence. Mark Edwards, 50, of Croydon, south London, was released on bail to appear at Westminster magistrates court on 7 December.

Harrington said a “very significant proportion” of those claiming to be staging a political protest were there to commit crime “This was not about high spirits or high jinx – this was about criminality.”

He revealed that officers had seized a radio and commercial fireworks after arresting three men, and that detectives were investigating whether the violence was planned. “Why would you bring a radio to an event?” the pubic order chief said. On the subject of possible future demonstrations, he said the force would “facilitate” protest, and pointed out that the majority of the 3,500 each year in London pass without incident.

Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, the Metropolitan police commissioner, said some protesters had asked others to stop targeting police horses. “My officers have worked very hard in the face of some incredibly challenging and even violent circumstances,” he said. “Last night, my officers were well and truly in the front line. Fortunately, the four injured officers are doing OK. The most seriously injured was a mounted officer who was thrown from his horse, Embassy, after they had fireworks thrown at them in the Mall.”

Embassy, one of the force’s oldest horses, bolted after the firework was thrown, and his rider was taken to hospital with a broken wrist. Six police horses were injured in total.

PC Claire Rees said her horse, Quixote, who suffered injuries to his front legs in the Mall, had been “very brave”. She said: “I just think it is a very cowardly thing to do. Horses should never be targeted. It was very intimidating. When it’s a horse and fireworks are thrown, it is a very dangerous situation. Just one of our officers got injured. It could have been a lot worse, but the horses were just so amazing last night.” She said some protesters “did not like the fact that the horses were there” and were concerned for their safety.