New clashes in Bristol as police on horseback and with dogs move in to clear 150 ‘Kill The Bill’ protesters who refused to leave the streets in demonstration two nights after widespread anti-police riots in the city
Riot police clashed with protesters in Bristol last night for the second time in two days.
Officers with riot shields and helmets were called in to clear College Green in the centre of the city at 10pm this evening.
Around 150 protesters had earlier erected tents on the green in a protest at how the police crime sentencing and courts bill will impact on travellers, squatters and the homeless.
They had ignored calls to comply with Covid regulations and to go home.
Police and protesters at College Green in Bristol where police said around 150 protesters gathered
The protesters had ignored calls to comply with Covid regulations and to go home
Around 100 riot police were then called in to force crowds away from the tents and move them further back with dogs and officers on horseback.
As of 11pm, there was a sit in protest by some 30 protesters who crouched down in front of a line of officers and refused to move.
Two female protesters told how they were sitting down on the green when police came in with force.
One said: ‘They just came at us and gave us no warning whatsoever.
‘I shouted to one ‘what are you doing’ and he hit me in the face. He hit my friend too and made her nose bleed. Nasty, nasty people.’
Police were seen wrenching tents away from people as they forced them back.
The protesters were chanting slogans like ‘Whose streets? Our streets!’ and ‘Kill the Bill’ but so far officers do not appear to have been pelted with any missiles like at Sunday’s protest.
Avon and Somerset Police today released images of ten people in connection with the violence at the weekend in which two police vehicles were torched, 22 officers were injured, including two who were hospitalised and a police station was vandalised.
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