Bristol’s police boss says clean-up after violent Kill the Bill riot will top £1million
Bristol's police chief expects the damage caused during a riot in Bristol to cost more than £1million to rectify.
Avon and Somerset Police's Chief Constable Andy Marsh condemned the actions of some protesters after violence broke out during a Kill the Bill protest on Sunday.
Dozens of police vehicles were damaged and multiple officers were injured, with one left with a broken bone and another with a punctured lung.
Chief Constable Marsh said: "This was a disgraceful, violent disorder. I don’t believe it was a protest about the right to protest.
"The people involved in this were just looking for violence and the opportunity to create disorder. They should be ashamed of themselves. They’re an absolute disgrace and they do not represent Bristol."
He said nine of a neighborhood policing team's vehicles had been damaged during the violence and as a result their work to protect the most vulnerable people in Bristol has been hampered.
Work is now underway to clear the streets of the debris from the fallout, and the cost of doing so is expected to rise above £1million.
Council workers are out in force this morning to restore the streets after police vans were torched, graffiti was sprayed on walls and buildings were damaged.
Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees said the rioters had brought a "shameful day" on the city.
In a statement, he said: "The violence and damage that have emerged from today’s protests are unacceptable and have nothing to do with the real work we are doing to tackle political, economic and social inequality.
"I recognise the frustrations with the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill. I have major concerns about the Bill myself, which is poorly thought-out and could impose disproportionate controls on free expression and the right to peaceful protest."
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