Scuffles and arrests due to anti-lockdown protesters march through London
21 March, 2021
Scuffles broke out due to anti-lockdown protesters marched through central London on Saturday (Mar 20), defying police warnings to allow them to stay away due to coronavirus restrictions.
Law enforcement said they made 33 arrests, most for COVID-19 regulation breaches, after up to 10,000 people gathered positioning banners with slogans such as for example "Stop Destroying Our Youngsters' Lives" and "Fake Pandemic". Crowded near each other, protesters also tripped flares.
Under England's coronavirus rules it really is unlawful for groups to gather for the purpose of protest, but opposition to such measures has grown this week, not particularly linked to anti-lockdown demonstrations.
Law enforcement were criticised for using heavy-handed tactics to split up a patio vigil for 33-year-out of date Sarah Everard on Mar 13. A officer has been billed with her kidnap and murder.
A lot more than 60 British lawmakers wrote to interior minister Priti Patel about Fri calling for protests to come to be allowed during lockdown and saying that attending a demonstration shouldn't be a criminal offence.
"We ask you to expressly exempt protests from constraints on gatherings," lawmakers, including Conservative Person in Parliament Steve Baker and Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said on the letter, that was organised by marketing campaign groups Liberty and YOUR GOVERNMENT Watch.
There have been three consecutive nights of protest in London before this week, fuelled by the police a reaction to the vigil for Everard, and anger over government plans to tighten the law on demonstrations.
The interior ministry, known as the house Office, said when asked about the letter that the COVID-19 stay-at-home order remains set up until Mar 29, and once it ends protests can resume at the mercy of agreeing to respect social distancing.
"While we remain in a pandemic we continue steadily to urge people in order to avoid mass gatherings, consistent with wider coronavirus restrictions," a good spokeswoman said.
Police said people breaching COVID-19 regulations could face fines or perhaps arrest.
Source: www.channelnewsasia.com
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