British Blacks not being violent anti-social tossers
Illegal street party in Brixton: Downing St condemns attacks on police
April 30 2020, 12.01am
After images of the confrontation involving dozens of people on the Angell Town estate in Brixton were widely shared today, the prime minister’s official spokesman said: “These were appalling scenes. Violence against the police will not be tolerated.”
Priti Patel, the home secretary, described the scenes as “utterly vile” and said that she would be speaking to Dame Cressida.
At least 22 police officers were injured, two of whom required hospital treatment and CT scans for suspected head injuries. Four people were arrested for assault and public order offences, the Metropolitan Police said.
John Apter, the chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said: “We’ve seen about 250 police officers injured in recent weeks, that’s just an unimaginable number.
“The scale of the disorder in Brixton and the targeting of my colleagues is an absolute disgrace. We’re reaching the point where it’s only through fortune that my colleagues are not being more seriously injured or in fact killed.”
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He added that police officers are in an “impossible” position, criticised if they police too softly or go in too hard.
Mr Apter called for those responsible to face the consequences. “We need to put these people in prison where they belong because this is not acceptable at any level,” he said.
The Tory MP Andrew Bridgen told Mail Online: “Cressida Dick has lost control of the streets to a lawless minority. She has lost the confidence of the law-abiding majority of residents in Brixton and the country by effectively abandoning them to mob rule.”
Police said officers had tried to “encourage the crowd to leave” after they were called to reports of a “large unlicensed music event” in Overton Road . “The event continued and more officers attended the scene and the group became hostile towards officers,” Scotland Yard said in a statement.
One witness, who did not want to be named, said: “After the police backed up, the group of people then forced the police out of the estate, throwing things at the police, smashed up a police car that they abandoned and then it moved more towards the main road.”
Vandals smashed a police car and a van. Police were forced to retreat after being pelted with bottles and threatened by crowds armed with makeshift weapons.
In one video, two men can be seen carrying a large wooden table before ripping its legs off and running at the police, who started to run away as the crowd descended on them. In another video, a person appears to be waving a sword at officers.
Two men could be seen standing on top of a police vehicle while smashing in the windscreen with a table leg. Another man attempted to smash the back window of a police van with a plank of wood before it was driven off.
The footage, posted to the social media app SnapChat, appeared to have been filmed by a former resident of the estate using the name claire_419er. “Jesus is my lord, they have broken into the back of the van,” she says as groups of men attack a parked police vehicle.
Later, in another post, she adds: “This is . . . Angell Town, where I grew up. It’s not a good thing but, do you know what? It’s entertainment.”
The Met police gave the Angell Town estate, which is home to 4,000 residents, the most serious classification in its Gangs Matrix. The Department for Communities and Local Government classified it as “one of the 10 per cent most deprived areas in the country”.
Commander Colin Wingrove, said: “Our role is to protect the public and ensure guidelines are adhered to in order to prevent the spread of Covid-19, protecting the NHS, and save lives.
“Our officers work incredibly hard to engage and explain the public health message and regulations to prevent such gatherings occurring.
“Last night we received numerous concerns from residents complaining about a large gathering, noise, anti-social behaviour and violence, and officers responded to those concerns. These gatherings are unlawful, as well as posing a risk to public health and against coronavirus restrictions.
“We are engaged with the local community and our partners. Officers are out today conducting reassurance patrols. The violence shown towards officers is totally unacceptable and we will not tolerate it in any form.
“An investigation into the incident is now taking place and those involved will be brought to justice.”
