Fury erupts at pro-statue demonstrator who urinated beside memorial for policeman who was killed by Westminster terrorist
- Man was seen urinating next to memorial during violent clashes in London today
- PC Keith Palmer stabbed to death during the Westminster terror attack in 2017
- Several senior politicians shared their disgust at the shocking incident
- Among those is MP Tobias Ellwood who performed first aid on the police officer
- There are now calls for the man to be jailed from the Met Police Federation
A yob was seen urinating next to a memorial created in honour of a police officer killed in the Westminster terror attack.
Several politicians have expressed their disgust after the man was snapped during violent clashes between far-right protesters and police in central London today, including Home Secretary Priti Patel branding the incident as 'absolutely appalling and shameful'.
There are now calls from the Met Police Federation for the man to be jailed for his actions.
Armed only with a baton and pepper spray, PC Keith Palmer was stabbed to death while guarding the main vehicle entrance — Carriage Gates — by terrorist Khalid Masood on March 22, 2017. He was awarded a posthumous George Medal for his bravery in confronting the killer.
Among those shaming the man is MP Tobias Ellwood, who gave first aid to the police officer as he lay dying outside Westminster.
He took to Twitter to share his disgust at the shocking photograph, describing his actions as 'abhorrent'.
A man was seen urinating next to a plaque honouring PC Keith Palmer who was stabbed to death during a terrorist attack in Westminster in 2017
MP Tobias Ellwood, who rushed to help give first aid to PC Palmer after the incident, shared his disgust at the shocking image during the violent clashes in the capital today
The politician said: 'Absolute shame on this man. Of all the images to emerge over these few testing days I find this one of most abhorrent. Please help identify him.'
Joining him in voicing her disgust was MP Rupa Huq: 'Absolutely repulsive. I was there when Parliament came under attack form a terrorist in 2017 and PC Palmer paid with his life to defend us all.
'Tobias rushed to his aid when all other MPs ran the other way. Now this. Shameful.'
Home Secretary Priti Patel condemned the 'desecration' of the memorial: 'We are in an unprecedented public health emergency and I have said every single day, as have the police around the country and in London, that these protests, these gatherings, are illegal and we have been discouraging them.
'Secondly, we have seen a small minority behave in extreme thuggery and violent behaviour today.
'That is simply unacceptable and the individuals that are basically putting the safety of our police officers and the safety of the public at risk will expect to face the full force of the law.
'We have seen some shameful scenes today, including the desecration of PC Keith Palmer's memorial in Parliament, in Westminster square, - a man that gave his life to protect people - and quite frankly that is shameful, that is absolutely appalling and shameful.
'And I think, you know, my final remark very much is that we live in a tolerant country but racism, any form of intolerance and violence is simply not acceptable.'
The Father of the House of Commons, Sir Peter Bottomley, said the protester should be 'ashamed'.
Khalid Masood (pictured left) murdered five people (including PC Palmer, right) and injured 50 others when he drove his car into pedestrians outside the Houses of Parliament in March 2017
Several senior politicians have joined Ellwood in sharing their disgust at the incident and there are calls for the perpetrator to be jailed
'If people had the courage of Keith Palmer they would know they should intervene and say to anyone doing that kind of thing: 'Don't.'
'I think the people who were with the person should have intervened. If you stand by and do nothing, bad things go on happening.'
Senior Tory MP Rob Halfron described the behaviour as 'horrific' and said he hoped the perpetrator was tracked down and jailed.
'This is just so horrific. I hope they find this individual and lock them up and throw away the key.
'This is not the kind of country we are. I feel every possible good wish to the family of PC Palmer, who did so much to keep us safe.'
And his calls may be answered as the Metropolitan Police Federation chairman said the man pictured urinating next to the memorial of PC Keith Palmer should be sent to prison.
Ken Marsh condemned the 'disorder and unruliness' witnessed at the far-right protests in London on Saturday.
He said: 'It's horrendous. The man urinating next to Keith Palmer's memorial is disgusting.
'How can a human being behave like that? I don't get it, it's beyond belief.
'A faction of people today only had one intention - to be violent and unlawful, they didn't come here to protect the statues, it's just disorder and unruliness.
'I suggest serious custodial sentences in relation to assaults on police and others, criminal damage and urinating next to the memorial of heroes.'
During the attack Masood, 52, also killed four pedestrians and injured around 40 on Westminster Bridge by ramming a car into them.
It was the first of a number of fatal Islamist attacks carried out on or close to bridges over the Thames between 2017 and 2019.
Masood was eventually shot dead by a plainclothes close protection officer.
PC Palmer was posthumously awarded the George Medal for bravery that 'unquestionably saved lives' and his memorial was organised by the Police Memorial Trust and unveiled in February 2019.
Hundreds of far-right and pro-statue protesters gathered in the capital on this morning in anticipation of a Black Lives Matter demonstration later in the day.
Hundreds of far-right thugs and hooligans rushed up to the police blockade outside the Cenotaph
Police armed with shields and riot gear reinforce the blockade on Whitehall as louts rush up the police line
A man (pictured) believed to be a Tommy Robinson supporter, was one of two men chased by angry crowds today
Several hundred demonstrators, mostly white men, attended the protest organised by far-right groups, including Britain First, which claimed they wanted to protect statues such as Winston Churchill from vandalism.
But fights erupted in areas near the Houses of Parliament and Trafalgar Square as demonstrators repeatedly hounded police officers with foul-mouthed chants and missiles, smoke grenades and flares.
Shards of glass were strewn along the streets close to the Cenotaph on Whitehall after bottles were thrown at police officers clad in riot gear.
The violent scenes are in contrast with peaceful demonstrations that took place at Hyde Park and Marble Arch by anti-racism protesters in support of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement.
On Friday, statues in Parliament Square - including of Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi - were boarded up to prevent them being targeted by protesters both from the Black Lives Matter movement and far-right groups.
The Metropolitan Police warned people joining demonstrations on Saturday that they must be off the streets by 5pm or risk being arrested.
Police fight to maintain control in Trafalgar Square amid both Black Lives Matter and pro-statue protests in London today
At around 4pm, the crowd in Parliament Square thinned out after one of the exits was opened, although a few hundred people remained in the area ahead of the 5pm deadline.
Scotland Yard said that as of 5pm, they had arrested five people for offences including violent disorder, assault on police, possession of an offensive weapon, being drunk and disorderly and possession of Class A drugs.
By around 5.30pm, London Ambulance Service said it had treated 15 people for injuries, including two police officers.
Six of these patients, all members of the public, had to be taken to hospital.
The Metropolitan Police Federation chairman, Ken Marsh, condemned the 'disorder and unruliness'.
The violence has been condemned by the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and Home Secretary Priti Patel, with the latter branding it as 'thoroughly unacceptable thuggery'.
Speaking before the clashes, Paul Golding, leader of Britain First, said the crowds had turned out to 'guard our monuments'.
Mr Golding, who was convicted of a terror offence last month said: 'I am extremely fed up with the way that the authorities have allowed two consecutive weekends of vandalism against our national monuments.'
There were similar gatherings on Saturday in Belfast, Glasgow and Bristol with crowds massing around monuments.
In Brighton, more than 1,000 protesters formed a line along the seafront in a Black Lives Matter demonstration.
Protests against police brutality and racism have erupted all over the UK and across the globe following the death of African-American George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police nearly three weeks ago.
People wearing face masks held banners at Hyde Park in London during a Black Lives Matter protest on Wednesday
Last week, the statue of slave trader Edward Colston was pulled down and dumped into Bristol harbour by anti-racism protesters, while Winston Churchill's memorial in London was defaced with the words 'was a racist'.
The UK protests in support of Black Lives Matter have largely been peaceful, although some have been marred by acts of violence towards police by a comparatively small group of people.
But these attacks on officers and criminal damage on statues have lasted no more than a couple of hours, mostly towards the end of rallies.
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2020-06-13 18:57:16Z
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