1 police officer injured in London as protest turns violent
Riot police move to quell a protest on a main street in London, late Friday, July 28, 2017. Protesters angry over the death of a young black man following a police chase have clashed with riot police in London, throwing bottles and fireworks and setting garbage cans on fire. (Lauren Hurley / PA Wire via AP)
Published: 5:30 p.m., July 29, 2017 | Updated: 10:28 p.m., July 29, 2017
LONDON — British police said Saturday that an officer was injured after a peaceful London protest over the death of a young black man following a police chase turned violent.
Clashes broke out on the streets of east London late Friday as riot police tried to disperse protesters, who hurled bottles and fireworks at officers, set garbage cans on fire and barricaded a road. Some held “Black Lives Matter” placards.
Scotland Yard said the violence overnight was “separate” from a peaceful protest at a police station earlier Friday over the death of 20-year-old Rashan Charles.
Charles died in a hospital last week after he was pursued and apprehended by an officer in east London’s Hackney area. The Independent Police Complaints Commission is investigating the case and said it will consider whether any misconduct or crimes were involved.
Police said the clashes Friday resulted in damage to “vehicles, a cash machine and a number of windows.” A 17-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of causing bodily harm over the disorder.
Some protesters hurled bottles at officers while others blocked part of a road with garbage cans and mattresses, preventing cyclists and drivers from passing.
