Authorities in Hampshire confirmed that police officers utilized batons and synthetic pepper spray on Sunday to disperse a crowd of several hundred masked demonstrators dressed in black during unrest in Portsmouth.
The incident occurred following a second weekend demonstration targeting asylum seekers arriving in the UK via small boats. During the confrontation, it was alleged that officers on motorbikes were forcibly pushed to the ground and pelted with bricks by the vigilantes.
Home Office minister Sarah Jones strongly condemned the organizations behind the disturbances, characterizing their actions as a promotion of “racism and thuggery.” She noted that law enforcement personnel were injured while repelling what she described as organized aggression.
How many officers were actually hurt? The article mentions injuries but the details seem vague to me.
Disgusting. Using violence against vulnerable asylum seekers is not protest, it’s thuggery plain and simple.