A police officer has been filmed confronting an angry Londoner as they tried to drag an Animal Rebellion protester out of the road during a demonstration.
Justice group Animal Rebellion blocked Westminster Bridge in a demonstration against the government’s involvement in animal farming on Tuesday. Traffic was brought to a standstill for about an hour.
Five protesters were arrested for obstruction of the highway while a sixth person was arrested for allegedly assaulting a protester during the demonstration, the Metropolitan Police said.
The offshoot of controversial climate group Extinction Rebellion set up a candle-lit dinner table in the middle of the road with one protester dressed as Rishi Sunak sat behind it.
In one video from the demonstration, a police officer is seen kneeling to speak with one of the protesters before approaching a frustrated passerby who had started dragging one of the protesters out of the road.
The officer physically grabbed the man, who let go of the protester, and holding his clothing as he faced him, walked the man away from the protest backwards.
Angered members of the public were shown throwing the mock dinner-party into the road and grabbing at the activists’ fold-up chairs while they were still sitting on them, as well as dragging the protesters physically across the street.
One passerby could be heard saying, “leave her alone” in defence of the protesters, but motorists are also heard beeping their horns in the video.
The action is part of the group's wider objective to advocate for a global transition to ‘a plant-based future’ and for the British government to invest greater resources into vegan food.
Activist Rose Patterson, 33, held a sign that said "Stop breaking hearts, be part of a plant-based future".
She said that the protesters were there to “highlight that animal agriculture is one of the leading causes of climate change”.
"I don't want to be here today, I'm just acting out of love and compassion and love for everyone here,” she added.
"I know people are angry at us, we've been dragged out of the road, people have been thrown off chairs, dragged around, and this is not fun, we're just trying to remind people that there are alternatives, we can thrive on a plant-based food system."
In a statement posted to their Twitter account, the group confirmed that the protesters are seeking an "alternative to the cruel and destructive food system that our government loves so much".
The group has previously staged anti-dairy protests in which milk supplies were emptied and poured onto the floor of supermarkets across Britain.
A spokesperson for the Met said: "A man was assaulting a protester by dragging them off the road. The police officer intervened to prevent any harm. We will not tolerate any form of violence or abuse and we will robustly tackle such offences committed against anybody.
"The man was arrested for assault and is currently under investigation. The protester was one of five people subsequently arrested for obstruction of the highway."
A spokesman for Scotland Yard said: "The Met Police were rapidly on scene at Westminster Bridge this morning.
"At 10.12 five protesters placed themselves on the highway, blocking traffic over the bridge in the direction of St Thomas Hospital."
