Five police officers have been seriously injured in clashes with protesters in London. Scotland Yard confirmed that among the injuries are broken bones resulting from a demonstration outside the Iranian embassy turning violent and a subsequent clash at an Islamic Centre.
Dozens of demonstrators gathered at the embassy in Princes Gate, Knightsbridge, on Sunday afternoon (September 25) to call for an end to the Islamic Republic of Iran. It came as protests in Iranian cities spread across the world, sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of the Iranian morality police.
Scotland Yard said the disorder at Sunday’s protest initially broke out in the immediate vicinity of the embassy before moving to Marble Arch and then to Maida Vale, where the Islamic Centre of England was targeted. It said a number of officers were hurt during the protest, five of whom are in hospital with serious injuries. Twelve people were arrested on suspicion of violent disorder.
Commander Karen Findlay said: “We respect the right of people to protest peacefully and always work with organisers to make that possible, but we will not tolerate unprovoked attacks on our officers as we have seen today or protest that leaves other communities feeling unsafe. We have officers in hospital tonight because they were attacked in what was a significant outbreak of violent disorder.
“We have already made a number of arrests, but we know there are people who were not caught tonight who committed serious offences. In the coming days, we will be using all the tools at our disposal – including CCTV and other footage – to identify those people and bring them to justice.”
Footage shared showed angry protesters shouting and pushing against officers who had formed a line in front of the embassy on Sunday afternoon. Crowds chanted “Death to the Islamic Republic” and waved Iran’s former national flag from before 1979.
One clip shows two officers wrestling a protester to the ground who appears to have broken through the police line. Elsewhere, riot police could be seen trying to clear protesters off the road near Marble Arch. Scotland Yard said officers were able to protect the security of the embassy but in doing so, were subjected to further attacks. Masonry, bottles and other projectiles were thrown at officers.
By 7.30pm, the protesters had been cleared from the area outside the Iranian embassy, but a handful of police officers remained outside the building. There was little sign of the scenes from earlier in the day, except for a few battered protest posters.
A photo of Mahsa Amini could be seen on one poster, while another said “stop execution in Iran”. Police have put a Section 35 dispersal order in place for the next 48 hours in the area impacted by the disorder.
It comes after Iran’s foreign ministry said on Sunday it had summoned Britain’s ambassador Simon Shercliff over what it described as a hostile atmosphere created by London-based Farsi language media outlets.
For stories from where you live, visit InYourArea.
Find recommendations for eating out, attractions and events near you here on our sister website 2Chill
Find recommendations for dog owners and more doggy stories on our sister site Teamdogs
