A police officer on an operation in Dalston was filmed repeatedly hitting an individual in the head during a violent clashes with protesters in east London yesterday.
A video shows several officers standing beside a police van outside Kingsland Shopping Centre in east London on Saturday evening.
It shows a man detained by officers struggling before he is struck in the head five times while on the floor.
Nine people were arrested for offences including violent disorder. They remain in police custody.
Nine people were arrested for offences including violent disorder. They remain in police custody
Some accounts on social media appeared to urge people to congregate in the area.
Alex Marshall, president of the Independent Workers of Great Britain, wrote on Twitter: ‘IMMIGRATION RAID HAPPENING NOW IN HACKNEY KINGSLAND RD/ASHWIN ST JUNCTION.
‘Three people have been detained and crowds gathering to resist. If you are nearby please get down. We need people! SHARE SHARE SHARE’
However, police have since said it was not an immigration raid and were instead conducting an operation ‘targeting e-scooters and moped-enabled crime’ when they came across someone wanted for immigration offences.
Hackney Police, which is part of the Metropolitan Police, released a statement addressing the incident on Twitter last night.
Police were pictured physically engaging with protesters and even punching one in the head
There was a large police presence in Dalston supported by multiple vehicles
Onlookers who were possibly guided to the scene by social media and the police shared a hostile atmosphere
Police urged viewers of the footage to ‘remember that such videos rarely provide a full and accurate picture of what is taking place’
‘At around 19:00hrs on Saturday, May 14, officers were carrying out a pre-planned operation in Ashwin Street, Dalston, targeting e-scooters and moped-enabled crime,’ it said.
‘In the course of this operation they stopped a man who was shown on police systems as being wanted for immigration offences. As officers went to arrest him for these offences a crowd gathered and tried to stop them.
‘In a very short time the crowd grew significantly in size. We are aware of efforts on social media to summon people to the area specifically to obstruct officers, suggesting the incident was an ‘immigration raid’.
‘A number of officers were assaulted. Fortunately they did not require hospital treatment.
‘Police vehicles were also damaged.
‘Several arrests were made for offences including violent disorder.
‘We are aware of a number of videos on social media filmed during the incident. We would urge people to remember that such videos rarely provide a full and accurate picture of what is taking place.’
In a statement, the force said: ‘We are aware of a number of videos on social media filmed during the incident.
‘We would urge people to remember that such videos rarely provide a full and accurate picture of what is taking place.
‘Police officers are aware that any use of force must be proportionate and reasonable, and they understand that their actions will be scrutinised as they go about their work and that they will be held to account where appropriate.’
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