Police have released 18 images of people they want to identify in connection with Sunday’s riot in Bristol
During the ‘Kill The Bill’ riots in Bristol on Sunday, 40 police officers and one member of the press were attacked by protesters, it has been revealed.
As of today, nine people have been arrested in connection with the riot, which started as a peaceful protest before turning violent.
During the incident, police vehicles were set alight by rioters, fireworks and rocks were thrown and police stations were vandalised. Many police officers at the riot were left injured.
The Home Secretary Priti Patel condemned the protestors’ disorderly behaviour on Twitter on Sunday.
She said: “Unacceptable scenes in Bristol tonight. Thuggery and disorder by a minority will never be tolerated. Our police officers put themselves in harms way to protect us all.
“My thoughts this evening are with those police officers injured.”
Unacceptable scenes in Bristol tonight.
Thuggery and disorder by a minority will never be tolerated.
Our police officers put themselves in harms way to protect us all.
My thoughts this evening are with those police officers injured.
— Priti Patel MP (@pritipatel) March 21, 2021
Two men, one aged 20 years old, and another who has refused to provide his details, have been arrested on suspicion of violent disorder and are now in custody.
Sunday’s riot occurred after the peaceful ‘Kill the Bill’ protest against the Government’s Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, which would give the police greater powers to shut down demonstrations in the future.
Another large protest against the Bill occurred in Bristol on Tuesday, which resulted in a total of 14 arrests.
Chief Superintendent Carolyn Belafonte said that the investigation into the Bristol riot on Sunday could be one of the largest in Avon and Somerset Police’s history.
She said: “The fact we’re investigating 40 assaults on officers and a member of the media as the result of one incident shows the scale of wanton disorder which took place that night.
“Through painstaking work to examine more than two terabytes worth of digital footage, we believe we’re making clear progress to identify those responsible and anticipate further images will be released soon to the online gallery we’ve set up.
“One of the people we believe we’ve already identified is a suspect in the fire which destroyed a mobile community police station.
“We’d like to thank every member of the public who’s got in touch to provide footage, information or to pass on their well-wishes and kind thoughts.”
Avon and Somerset Police have now released 18 images of people they want to identify following Sunday’s riot in Bristol.
