Avon and Somerset police chief constable Andy Marsh has stated individuals involved in violence at the "Kill the Bill" demonstration in Bristol could expect severe consequences as he revealed five arrests had been made so far. He remarked it would not have been practical or probable to have made more on the night given the number of people involved.
'Kill the Bill' Protest
According to Marsh, "it wouldn't have been practical or possible to have made more on the night given the volume of people involved. Rest assured, by the end of today we will be releasing pictures of some of the people we want. There will be a huge investigation. I do expect very serious consequences for those involved," reported Cotswold Journal.
Rioters who attempted to set fire to a Bristol police van while officers were still inside could be filed attempted murder charges once they are identified. Detectives are observing hundreds of hours of video footage from the Sunday evening disturbances that left the 21 injured.
Eight people have already been taken into custody. Six were arrested for violent disorder, and two were arrested for possession of an offensive weapon. According to Avon and Somerset Police, the probing could result in the largest number of photos for wanted suspects in the force's history.
Over one hundred police officers and civilian staff are now working on probing into the brutal events in Bristol. The injuries were provoked after a few hundred people gathered outside Bridewell Police Station after the conclusion of the "Kill the Bill" protest, reported B24/7.
The Government's Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill was voted through by MPs. This resulted in a disruption in Parliament in the wake of the Met Police crackdown on a Sarah Everard vigil. The Labor Party had initially planned to abstain from the legislation but voted against it. It contended that a number of its measures to provide police powers to handle demonstrators could be applied to similar vigils and peaceful events in the future. This threatens the right to protest, reported Telegraph.
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"Kill the Bill" is the chorus that has echoed through the United Kingdom's streets in recent weeks. This is as demonstrators demand a rethinking of a sweeping crime bill that would provide the police more power to deal with non-violent protests.
Violent events tarnished the Bristol demonstration that saw a police station attacked, officers injured, and vehicles set alight. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has denounced the scenes as "unacceptable." According to Home Secretary Priti Patel, thuggery and chaos would never be tolerated.
A police officer experienced a collapsed lung after being stamped on by protesters. Another one had his arm broken. Police vans were set alight, and the police station came under attack, with the glass windows being shattered by masked protesters who failed to gain entry.
What started out quietly on Sunday afternoon turned ugly after hundreds of protesters marched from College Green to the New Bridewell police station. The Major Crime Investigation Team is leading the inquiry to trace those accountable for the violence and damage.
