Eleven arrested as protesters clash with police outside parliament on ‘Freedom Day’
Demonstrators chant ‘arrest Boris Johnson’ while holding signs saying ‘say no to the Covid vaccine’
Anti-lockdown protesters clashed with police during a demonstration outside parliament on the same day that Covid restrictions in England were eased.
Video showed an angry confrontation between crowds of predominantly men and police near Downing Street on Monday afternoon.
The Metropolitan Police said 11 people had been arrested “for a variety of offences”, adding that “sadly officers have been met with hostility while engaging with crowds”.
Police were earlier forced to close roads in Westminster after a group of demonstrators gathered to voice their opposition to coronavirus curbs and vaccines on so-called Freedom Day.
Protesters chanted “arrest Boris Johnson” and “shame on police” while holding signs saying “say no to the Covid vaccine” and “vax passport = digital slavery”.
An officer was seen to put a lock on a gate at the entrance to parliament during the protest.
The timing of the demonstration raised eyebrows, coming on the same day that almost all of the coronavirus rules were dropped by the government, despite warnings from health experts about the impact on the spread of the virus.
Social-distancing rules ended at one minute past midnight on Monday, while face masks are no longer mandatory in shops and on public transport and limits on gathering have been removed.
A Twitter user remarked: “Anti Lockdown protest outside Westminster on ‘Freedom day’ when all Covid restrictions end. Some people can’t take yes for an answer.”