Metropolitan Police under fire for protecting Churchill statue hours after protesters leave

The Metropolitan Police is dealing with criticism after officers moved to guard a statue of Winston Churchill hours after a protest in Westminster got here to a detailed.

Thousands of individuals gathered outdoors Scotland Yard on Sunday (March 14) to protest police use of power at a vigil for Sarah Everard the earlier evening.

By 5.45pm, a lot of the crowd at Westminster had dispersed, nonetheless, officers fashioned a protecting ring across the statue of Winston Churchill.

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According to London author Sian Bradley, who photographed officers standing in entrance of the statue, authorized observers overheard officers being instructed to “defend Churchill in any respect prices”.

Crowds could possibly be heard chanting: “Protect girls, not statues.”

Social media customers condemned the efforts to attempt to guard the statue, with one writing: “I swear, this lump of concrete will get a better share of public sources than most care houses.”

Another quipped: “Breaking – police agree to supply girls correct safety, however provided that they stand nonetheless in a bronze trenchcoat.”

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Protesters started assembling outdoors Scotland Yard at round 3.30pm on Sunday, after which they marched to Parliament Square.

The crowd then staged a die-in for one minute in tribute to the ladies who’ve misplaced their lives within the metropolis.

Compared the final evening’s vigil, the police presence was a comparatively hands-off affair, with officers remaining on the fringe of the group.

Other officers patrolled the group in twos, encouraging protesters to stay socially distanced.

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Crowds had largely dispersed by 5.45pm because the solar set, nonetheless, one other protest came about at Trafalgar Square.

The protest was held in defiance of violence in opposition to girls, and to sentence the policing of Saturday evening’s vigil, at which a number of cops have been filmed pushing vigil-goers.

Several girls have been led away in handcuffs and the power stated 4 folks have been arrested for public order and coronavirus regulation breaches.

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