Horror scenes have erupted in central London as tensions boil over with protesters clad in St George’s Day flags lash out at police on horses. A pre-planned march has brought the capital to a halt as crowds yell “England til’ I die” in Whitehall.
The area has been blocked in both directions for more than an hour, with live videos showing a sea of people; hi-vis police mixing with protestors with marchers swaying as pushing and shoving ensues.
But in a drastic turn, footage released by the Met Police shows one campaigner whacking an umbrella at the face of a police horse. The horse immediately retracts but chaos around the animal continues.
A statement from the Met Police said: “The event was not due to start for an hour and regrettably officers are already dealing with disorder. There is an area allocated for this event in Richmond Terrace. This group went past it and continued up Whitehall.
“When officers formed a cordon and asked the group to turn round, they reacted by violently forcing their way through. Mounted officers intervened with horses to restore the cordon.”
In a pre-warning issued earlier today (April 23), police said far right groups “linked to football clubs” were tipped to arrive “from elsewhere in the UK”.
“Additional policing resources, including public order officers, will be deployed in the area to deal with any incidents,” the force added. “They are supported by colleagues from the British Transport Police and the City of London Police.
“The officers’ primary role is to ensure the safety of participants and the public, but they will not hesitate to respond in the event of disorderly behaviour or other offences.”
