'Broken teeth and concussion' - 26 police officers injured during September 13 protests in London
Injuries sustained by officers included broken teeth, a possible broken nose and a concussion.
Met Police have confirmed 26 officers were injured during protests in London over the weekend.
On Saturday (September 13), more than 110,000 protesters attended a free speech rally, led by Tommy Robinson, in central London.
Promoted as the UK’s “biggest free speech” protest, Robinson branded his London event as a day to “Unite the Kingdom”.
However, towards the end of the rally, several protesters reportedly became disorderly after crowds started spilling out into “sterile areas”.
On the day, the anti-fascist group Stand Up To Racism UK also organised a protest against Tommy Robinson’s rally.
The “sterile areas” were set up by police to attempt to keep the two protests apart; however, due to more people attending the rallies than expected, crowds soon began to spill into other streets in Whitehall.
The Met Police have said that when officers tried to block their path, protestors started to get violent as they began kicking and punching to get past.
Bottles and flares were also thrown at officers, forcing them to wear full protective equipment and shields.
25 arrests were recorded on the day for offences including affray, violent disorder, assaults and criminal damage.
26 police officers have been confirmed as injured on the day. Serious injuries on the day include broken teeth, a possible broken nose, a concussion, a prolapsed disc and a head injury.
Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist has said the “violence” officers faced was wholly unacceptable.”
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