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Bristol Post
Bristol Post
National
Emma Grimshaw

More than 100 officers form steel wall as hundreds of protesters surround Bristol police station

Officers say they will take 'necessary enforcement action' as hundreds of protesters surround a Bristol police station.

Mounted officers, dogs handlers and police helicopters have been deployed to defend Bridewell Police Station as campaigners from Bristol's third Kill the Bill demo gather.

There's been a stand-off between protesters and officers for a number of hours outside of the building.

Demonstrators have been chanting, 'Who do you protect?', 'Justice for Sarah', 'whose streets? Our streets."

Sunday night's riot saw police vans torched and 40 officers injured when police clashed with protesters outside of Bridewell Police Station.

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A spokesperson for Avon and Somerset police has tweeted: "More than 1,000 protesters remain in Bristol city centre. We'd like to remind them their continued presence only increases the risk of spreading coronavirus.

"We have facilitated their march through the city and now urge them to go home.

"A large number of protestors remain on Lewins Mead.

"We continue to urge those in attendance to go home.

"All necessary and proportionate enforcement action will be taken."

Why are people marching?

People are campaigning against the proposed Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, which would give police and the Home Secretary increased powers to stop protests.

It also makes a special new law to protect monuments and statues, in the wake of the toppling of the statue of Edward Colston, with the crime of damaging them punishable by up to ten years in prison.

Under new government proposals trespass would become a criminal offence - rather than being a civil matter - in order to tackle unauthorised encampments, giving police the power to seize vehicles and arrest people who refuse to move.

Those breaking the new law on trespass could be fined up to £2,500 and could face a prison sentence of up to three months, but concerns have been raised by both academics and organisations that the new law will disproportionately affect travellers and more widely those living on roadside camps.

Follow the latest updates in our live blog here.

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