‘Kill the bill’ protest in Bristol labelled as ‘thuggery and disorder’

Hundreds of people in Bristol have gathered to demonstrate against plans to give police increased powers to shut down peaceful protests.

The demonstration in Bristol turned violent on Sunday night leaving officers injured and vehicles torched. Priti Patel said: “Thuggery and disorder by a minority will never be tolerated. Our police officers put themselves in harms way to protect us all.” on Twitter.

The protest initially started as a sit-down protest outside a local police station, however it has been reported, as riot police, dogs and police horses were deployed and police station windows were smashed.

Bristol mayor, Marvin Rees, commented  on the violence  and called it counter-productive, saying that rather than stopping government plans to increase police powers, the “lawlessness on show” will be “used as evidence and promote the need for the bill”.

Rees said: “The violence and damage that have emerged from today’s protests are unacceptable and have nothing to do with the real work we are doing to tackle political, economic and social inequality.

“I recognise the frustrations with the police, crime, sentencing and courts bill. I have major concerns about the bill myself, which is poorly thought-out and could impose disproportionate controls on free expression and the right to peaceful protest.”

The mayor said that Sunday’s actions “do nothing to bring us closer to justice”, underlining that he was, as a black man, “speaking as someone who himself … would be disproportionately likely to receive injustice”.