Woman accused of leading Bristol riot tells court she's 'quite good at de-escalating'

A woman on trial for rioting in Bristol says she put herself at the front of the crowd because she knew she would not retaliate in the face of police violence.

Jasmine York is accused of being a "leader and instigator" as violence unfolded outside Bridewell Police Station in March last year.

The 26-year-old, of Paintworks in Arnos Vale, is facing one charge of rioting and another of arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered or property damaged.

She denies any wrongdoing and is on trial at Bristol Crown Court.

She was filmed leading a crowd in chants of “ACAB”, which stands for “all cops are b******s”, and “f*** the police”, Bristol Crown Court heard.

York was also filmed allegedly helping to push an industrial bin up to a burning police car to add more fuel to the fire.

During the disorder, York was bitten by a police dog and also received blows from a police baton.

Giving evidence, York said she initially attended Bristol city centre for a vigil for Sarah Everard.

She said she learned more about the Police, Crime, Courts and Sentencing Bill from the speeches at the event and joined the crowd heading towards Bridewell Police Station.

The defendant said she believed it was “just a march”.

York filmed a lot of the evening, some of which she streamed on social media.

Asked why she had stayed at the police station when the disorder broke out, she said: “I think filming is important when there’s violence.

“When you make a report of violence people don’t always believe you, so filming is important for that reason.”

York continued: “I’ve been taught not to respond to violence with violence so I am quite a good person to have around – especially as it was quite a young crowd there.”

The defendant added: “I just wanted to film for the safety of others.”

She admitted her chants were “a bit rude”.

York also admitted she graffitied “s***s against cops” on a police van, saying it had just felt right as a “way of expressing something” at the time.

She was asked why she told a fellow protestor to “shut the f*** up” when he complained about the violence.

York replied: “He was making the women around him feel like it was their fault they received such a violent retaliation (from the police).

“I didn’t think that was a productive way of handling things when there were bigger things to be concerned about.”

York denied deliberately backing into the police line, saying she had purposely placed herself at the front of the crowd because she knew she would not retaliate against officers.

“If I am pushed or hit I am not going to do the same thing back, so it is better that it is me up front,” she said.

“I am quite good at de-escalating.”

In one clip, York can be seen blocking a protester who was trying to rush the police lines and pushing her back into the crowd.

In the early evening, York left the protest to go and see to the injuries she had received from a dog bite and baton strikes but returned a few hours later as the riot continued.

She said: “In situations of injustice, if you do nothing you choose the side of the oppressor, and I had gone home and I didn’t like that I had done that.

“I made sure my wounds were alright and then I decided to walk back.”

York denied using an industrial wheelie bin to add fuel to a burning police car, saying someone had asked her to help him lift it and she had not deliberately placed it against the vehicle.”

Members of the jury are due to retire to consider their verdict today (Thursday 3).