London police arrested 43 people during mass protests — The Guardian
In London, Metropolitan Police officers arrested 43 people during the far-right “Unite the Kingdom” march and a pro-Palestinian rally, which took place simultaneously on Saturday, May 16.
This was reported by the authoritative British publication The Guardian.
Both events drew a large number of participants, forcing law enforcement to work in high-alert mode to prevent large-scale clashes in the city center.
Police responded promptly to any signs of aggression or violations by radical activists from both camps.
The largest number of offenders was recorded among representatives of the nationalist wing, who resorted to xenophobic slogans.
Police stated that 20 of those arrested were present at the “Unite the Kingdom” march. Nine of them were detained on suspicion of hate crimes.
The situation remained no less tense at an alternative rally, where numerous incidents of public disorder and incitement to hatred were also recorded.
Another 12 people were arrested at a pro-Palestinian rally for the same reason. The other 11 arrests are reportedly not connected to any of these groups.
Law enforcement officers isolated the most active provocateurs to stabilize the overall situation.
Special forces paid particular attention to instances of overt discrimination and insults directed at law enforcement officers on the city streets.
Among those arrested at the “Unite the Kingdom” rally were several cases of alleged hateful insults directed at officers. One police officer, who belongs to an ethnic minority, was allegedly told to “go home.”
In addition to verbal altercations, incidents of direct physical violence were recorded at the rallies, requiring immediate intervention by police tactical units. One man was arrested for causing bodily harm.
It is noted that he boarded a bus that was supposed to take pro-Palestinian protesters home and allegedly punched someone in the face after being told to leave.
A significant reason for the arrests was also the display of religious intolerance and posters with radical slogans that offended the feelings of other citizens.
Among the other detainees were three people holding signs reading “To hell with Islam” and “Christ is King, to hell with Islam.” All confiscated materials were attached to the criminal cases as physical evidence.
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