Four police officers were injured and 14 people arrested after violent protests outside Iran's London embassy escalated on Friday evening. The Metropolitan Police said missiles were thrown at officers during the demonstration in South Kensington.
A protester climbed across multiple balconies onto the embassy roof and removed a flag, according to the force. Officers later arrested him on suspicion of criminal damage, trespass on diplomatic property and assaulting police. A section 35 order was imposed to deal with the disorder.
London Ambulance Service was called at 8.45pm, and four people were taken to hospital. In a post on X, the Met Police said several officers had suffered injuries during the incident.
The protest reflects weeks of unrest in Iran, triggered by inflation and a cost-of-living crisis. The Iranian rial recently fell to a record low of 1.42 million against the US dollar, with annual inflation at around 40 per cent, and prices for staples such as meat and rice have risen sharply.
The demonstrations, which began over economic issues, have since expanded to include calls for the overthrow of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. According to the US-based Human Rights Activist News Agency, at least 2,637 people have been killed and roughly 20,000 arrested in Iran. An internet blackout was also reported in Iran on Thursday 14 January, according to internet monitoring group Netblocks.
