Riots Two-thirds of those arrested linked to domestic violence reports

MORE than two thirds of the people arrested for disorder when an anti-immigration demonstration in Bristol turned violent last summer had previous contact with police over reports of domestic abuse.

- Tristan CORK

The demonstrators had gathered under the slogan “Save Our Kids’, following the murders of three school children in Southport.

The protesters expressed the intention to gather in Castle Park on Saturday, August 3, 2024, and then march to a converted hotel in Redcliffe that is being paid by the Government to house people seeking asylum.

There were violent clashes between those protesters and police, and also with counter-protesters who also gathered in the park, and on Bristol Bridge and Baldwin Street.

Avon and Somerset police answered a request under the Freedom of Information Act sent to all forces which had experienced similar violence and made arrests.

Nationally, the research showed that across the country, two out of every five people arrested for taking part in those riots had been previously involved in reports to the police for domestic abuse.