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Wales Online
Wales Online
National
Lucy John

Protester staged sit-in on porch roof of Swansea police station

A man climbed onto the porch roof of Swansea Central Police Station today claiming it was in protest against a conviction.

Onlookers gathered outside as police officers tried to coax the man down. 

He had climbed onto the roof using a ladder, which was still leaning against the building.

When approached by WalesOnline, the protester claimed that he had been wrongly arrested for a crime during the '90s.

Police officers tried to coax him down (South Wales Evening Post)

Police said they had been trying to coax him down since about 11am and did not believe he was trying to harm himself. At 3.14pm they tweeted that he had finally come down from the roof.

He was wearing a T-shirt with the slogan "Justice for Robert Rossi" written on the front.

https://twitter.com/SWPSwansea/status/1172500886955986944

As officers asked him to climb down, he said: "I am happy here - justice is all I want."

He also asked for his solicitor, who arrived about 1.15pm and tried to speak to him from an open window inside the police station.

Robert Rossi stood up to speak to his solicitor (South Wales Evening Post)

A friend of the man was at the scene and, along with the officers, tried to help talk him down.

She said: "He was sentenced for something he didn't do and he is protesting his innocence.

"He spent seven years in prison and he wants his name cleared."

WalesOnline has been attempting to verify any conviction details for Robert Rossi but has so far been unable to.

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