A police officer among 18 colleagues injured during Armistice Day unrest in central London spoke of the “really horrible” hostility they faced at the weekend.
Sergeant Lee Smith was struck in the face by a beer can which cut his mouth and split open his lip.
Others suffered dislocations and broken bones, Scotland Yard said on Wednesday, but officers are angered some people see it as “part of the job”.
Sgt Smith had been responding to suspected far-right protesters that had broken a cordon and advanced on pro-Palestinian supporters on Bridge Street near the Houses of Parliament.
As police filled gaps in the crowds to protect members of the public, he witnessed protestors throwing objects at his team.
Sgt Smith said: “The can hit me and I stumbled back and it felt like I had been punched in the face.
“It was a really horrible situation, but I didn’t want to go to hospital and leave my team.
“I looked around and could see a lot of our younger officers were worried, and it’s not fair that they’re subjected to that.
“We were isolated and holding the line, but I was proud of our officer’s resilience when responding to the events over the weekend.”
The Metropolitan Police said it continues to support the 18 police officers hurt.
Among them are nine colleagues on mutual aid from regional forces around England and Wales.
Of the 18, about 16 were spat at, pushed to the ground, punched, and hit by fireworks, bottles and other missiles, resulting in dislocations and broken bones.
Three were hospitalised and received treatment for their injuries, including a fractured elbow and a suspected dislocated hip.
Officers continue to examine hundreds of hours of CCTV recovered as part of an extensive post-event investigation.
Police are seeking the public’s help to identify 11 men suspected of displaying signs or wearing clothing in support of terrorist groups at pro-Palestine marches in London.
The Met said all those they seek to trace were seen at demonstrations held since Hamas militants entered Israel on October 7.
Inviting support for the banned organisation such as Hamas is an offence under the Terrorism Act.
Officers involved in policing protests are encouraged to report their injuries and can access further support and wellbeing services.
Superintendent Louise Puddefoot said: “Assaults on police officers should never be considered as ‘part of the job’, and incidents of verbal and physical abuse can have long lasting impacts on our hard-working front line staff.
“Our officers are working tirelessly day and night to help keep Londoners safe during these unprecedented times.
“Nobody deserves to be assaulted at work, and we have a zero-tolerance approach against assault, aggression, and verbal abuse for police officers who are trying to protect people from violence erupting in protest demonstrations.
“We will continue to support our staff over the next few days, and I would like to thank them for their commitment and dedication in protecting the Cenotaph and people of London.”
