01 April 2021

Man arrested on suspicion of arson over Kill the Bill riot in Bristol

01 April 2021

A man has been arrested on suspicion of arson during the first Kill the Bill protest in Bristol.

Avon and Somerset Police said the man, 25, had been detained in the Plymouth area in connection with the riot in Bristol on March 21.

The force had appealed for information about a suspect who put a lit item under a police van during the disturbance outside Bridewell police station.

A Kill the Bill protest (PA Wire)

The man has been arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life, violent disorder, assaulting a police officer and criminal damage.

Two men and a woman have been arrested on suspicion of violent disorder and released under investigation.

In total, 29 people have now been arrested in connection with the riot that saw 500 people march on Bridewell police station and set fire to police vehicles and attack the station.

“We’d like to thank the public for their continued support with what is a challenging investigation, especially those who have called in with information,” a police spokesman said.

“There are currently 16 images in our online gallery of people we want to identify as part of our inquiry and we continue to appeal to people to contact us if they recognise any of them.”

Since the first demonstration there have been three other protests in the city against the Government’s proposed Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.

Protests on March 23 and 26 ended in clashes between the police and protesters. A further demonstration on March 30 passed off peacefully.

The proposed Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill would give police in England and Wales more power to impose conditions on non-violent protests, including those deemed too noisy or a nuisance, with those convicted liable to fines or jail terms.

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