Met Police release pictures of 35 people wanted for questioning over violent London protests
18 June 2020, 23:00
The Metropolitan Police have released pictures of 35 individuals they wish to question in connection with violent clashes during London protests.
Clashes have broken out in the capital in recent weeks, where there have been demonstrations in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and among people claiming to protect statues in the city.
The Metropolitan Police said they are seeking people in relation to a number of violent public order offences which occurred during demonstrations between June 3 and 13.
Commander Bas Javid said while the vast majority of people had protested peacefully, "a small minority have attended with the sole purpose of attacking police officers, or violently confronting other protesters".
He said almost 230 arrests have been made so far, 128 of which related to Saturday's gathering which saw far-right demonstrators clash with officers near the Palace of Westminster and Trafalgar Square.
Mr Javid appealed to the public for their help to identify people.
He said: "We are now asking for the public's help in identifying people, who we need to talk to about the violence seen at the protests. If you have any information, no matter how small, please get in touch."
Police have been looking through hours of CCTV, officers' body worn video and footage circulated on social media to identify people who might have been involved in violence, the Met said.
The force added there is a "high likelihood" they will be releasing more images of others wanted in connection with the clashes "in due course".
Mr Javid's full statement said: “Over the past month, there have been a number of demonstrations across London. The vast majority of people have attended, made their voices heard, and then left without causing trouble. However, a small minority have attended with the sole purpose of attacking police officers, or violently confronting other protesters.
“This is clearly unacceptable, and as you would expect, we are running a large investigation to identify those who committed serious offences across all the demonstrations over the last month.
“Across these protests, almost 230 arrests have been made to date, with 128 of these relating to the most recent protests on 13 June.
“We are now asking for the public’s help in identifying people, who we need to talk to about the violence seen at the protests. If you have any information, no matter how small, please get in touch.”
Anyone with information can contact the investigation team on 020 8246 9386 or Tweet @MetCC on Twitter.
Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
