Four people were arrested in Canary Wharf after anti-asylum protestors clashed with police – with an officer getting punched in the face during the chaos
Four people have been arrested at an anti-asylum protest in London’s Canary Wharf as a Met Police officer was punched in the face while young children were present.
Police revealed they made four arrests for common assault by a protester on a member of the public, possession of class A & B drugs, assault on police/public order offences & failure to disperse following an anti-asylum protest on the Isle of Dogs this afternoon. The Met Police said some protestors, including some masked people, then moved into the Canary Wharf shopping centre, around 4.30pm, “where a small group became aggressive towards members of the public and police”.
Cops added that one on their officers was “punched in the face” as they worked on the protestors in East London.
The Met Police said the police officer who was hit luckily did not suffer from any significant injuries. Police said: “We are aware there are young children in the protest area and while we deal with any criminality our officers are ensuring the safety of them is paramount.”
A Section 60 AA was put in place for the Isle of Dogs (south of the A1261) to prevent people concealing their identity with masks. This meant people wearing a mask in this area could be arrested with the order is in place.
Another dispersal order was put in place in the same area which forced protestors to leave. Police used pepper spray to help detain one man and images showed officers wiping their eyes after they were accidentally caught in the line of the spray.
Protestors were demonstrating against a nearby hotel which has been selected to house migrants. A group of balaclava clad men and women dressed in pink marched down Westferry road.
At one stage they surrounded a bus and shook it. Silvia Colloseus said: “I was on a bus in Bank Street where the demonstrators shook it. Some passengers found it amusing and egged them on. Lots of masked faces. Ugly.”
This clash comes after five people were arrested by the Met Police yesterday at protests in West London. A crowd gathered outside the Crowne Plaza hotel, near Heathrow, which is thought to be holding asylum seekers.
Police said a group of masked men “attempted to enter the hotel via the rear entrance, damaging the security hoarding”. A breakaway protest moved towards a nearby Novotel hotel and then moved to a Holiday Inn.
The Met Police said: “Officers enforced cordons in the area to prevent a breach of the peace and three arrests were made. Two officers suffered minor injuries.” A Section 35 dispersal order was put in place to make people leave the area and two more arrests were made at this point.
Commander Adam Slonecki, in charge of policing London this weekend, said: “This afternoon we have unfortunately seen more disorder, following the five arrests made yesterday in the West Drayton area. We had plenty of officers on the ground who moved in swiftly to deal with the criminality that occurred inside and outside the shopping centre. We will not tolerate this kind of behaviour.
“Today’s protest saw many community members attend, including women and children, and we worked to ensure the safety of those there to peacefully represent their views. Those who arrive at protests masked and intent on causing trouble will continue to be dealt with robustly at future protests. We remain in the area to deter any further disorder and provide reassurance to local residents and businesses.”