Ten people have been arrested after violence broke out at a third 'kill the bill' demonstration in Bristol within a week. Avon and Somerset Police said the arrests were for offences including violent disorder, assaulting an emergency worker and possession of class A drugs. Nine of those arrested remain in custody, while one has been issued a fixed penalty notice.
The protest, which drew more than a thousand people, saw skirmishes between demonstrators and police after officers moved to disperse crowds following a 10pm curfew under Covid legislation. Superintendent Mark Runacres reported that items including glass bottles and bricks were thrown at officers, fireworks were launched at the mounted section, and a police horse was covered in paint. Officers used dogs, horses, vans and a helicopter to drive the crowds back.
Earlier in the evening, hundreds had sat down near Bridewell police station, the focus of rioting on Sunday. One protester named Joe, 30, said he was hit with a baton and left with a bloody head injury. A student named Jen, 22, was being treated for the effects of pepper spray, stating, 'My eyeballs are burning. I can't believe the police have done this.'
The demonstration was one of 13 planned across England, with opponents of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill gathering in cities including Manchester, Sheffield and Birmingham. Tensions in Bristol were heightened after Avon and Somerset Police apologised for wrongly claiming two officers suffered broken bones during the previous Sunday's disturbances. The force admitted the initial information had not been verified.
Chanting and placards at the protest expressed contempt for the bill and criticised police 'lies'. There was also anger over a peaceful sit-down protest on Tuesday night, which ended with officers in riot gear arresting 13 people. The bill faces opposition for its potential to criminalise Gypsy and Traveller communities and for its impact on the right to protest.
