A Black Lives Matter protester has been pictured carrying an injured counter-demonstrator to safety as violence broke out between rival groups in London.
Twitter user Lauren Townsend tweeted: “Easily my favourite photo of the day. A BLM protestor carries a far-right ‘counter-protestor’ to safety as fighting breaks out in Waterloo, London. Tell me again how ‘both sides are the same’. They’re not, they never have been + they never will be. This image will become iconic.”
The picture shows a white man clutching his head as a black man carries him over his shoulders, flanked by police in riot gear, near Waterloo station, in Central London.
Arrests
More than 100 people were arrested at a far-right protest in London, which was condemned by Prime Minister Boris Johnson as “racist thuggery”.
Six police officers suffered minor injuries in violent clashes as several hundred demonstrators, mostly white men, attended the protest organised by far-right groups which claimed they wanted to protect statues such as Winston Churchill from vandalism.
But the demonstration turned violent after hundreds of self-proclaimed “statue defenders” took over areas near the Houses of Parliament and Trafalgar Square and hurled missiles, smoke grenades, glass bottles and flares at police officers.
Many of those present were drinking, and there were a number of clashes with police in riot gear as crowds chanting “Tommy Robinson” and “England” while raising their arms surged towards lines of officers.
Outbursts of violence continued around the city after the 5pm deadline had passed, with the last few protesters removed from Parliament Square at around 6.45pm.
By 9pm, more than 100 people were arrested during the protest for offences including breach of the peace, violent disorder, assault on officers, possession of an offensive weapon, possession of class A drugs, and drunk and disorder.
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