This is the moment a thug punches a police officer's riot helmet at a counter-protest in London.
Protesters have gathered in Parliament Square and Whitehall to defend monuments after anti-racist protesters targeted them last weekend.
However, they soon clashed with police, throwing bottles and flares at officers.
A shocking video showed one man punching a police officer in the head in Parliament Square.
It happened after the thug pushed an officer, encouraging other people in the mob to surge towards the line of police.
As they were pushed back the same man rushed forward and threw a punch.
The impact of the strike can be clearly heard in the video, with the scene then descending into chaos.
The officers pull back and raise their batons as they are pelted with bottles by the mob.
One man in a green polo shirt then steps forward and rolls his hands as if preparing to throw a punch.
It comes as Home Secretary Priti Patel condemned the violence as 'unacceptable thuggery'.
She tweeted: "Any perpetrators of violence or vandalism should expect to face the full force of the law.
"Violence towards our police officers will not be tolerated. Coronavirus remains a threat to us all. Go home to stop the spread of this virus & save lives."
Far-right groups had voiced their intentions to defend monuments in London and elsewhere.
It came after Churchill's statue in Westminster was defaced with graffiti saying he was 'racist' and a statue of slave trader Edward Colston was toppled at Black Lives Matter protests last weekend.
The anti-racism group cancelled an event in London today over fears of counter-protests sparking violence.
The Black Lives Matter movement held protests globally after the shocking death of George Floyd in the US.
