Met Police said people in the Princes Gate, Knightsbridge crowd threw things at police and broke through police lines on Sunday afternoon. It happened at the same time as protests in Iran that started when Mahsa Amini died in custody after being arrested by Iran’s morality police.
At least five police officers were hurt very badly. Twelve people have been taken into custody for causing violence and disorder. Dozens of protesters in London chanted “Death to the Islamic Republic” and were seen waving Iran’s old national flag from before 1979.
Video from Sunday’s protest that was posted online showed fights between people in the crowd. One clip showed two police officers wrestling a protester to the ground. The protester seemed to have broken through the police line.
Intent on Disorder:
Near Marble Arch, riot police were seen trying to get protesters off the road. The Met said the protesters went from the embassy to Marble Arch and Maida Vale, where they attacked the Islamic Centre of England.
It said that thrown bricks, bottles, and other things and that several police officers were hurt. At least five people were taken to the hospital, some with broken bones. The police also thought the protesters were a “large group that wanted to cause trouble.”
“There will be a large police presence in and around the area to keep an eye on things,” the force said. Officials say that 35 people have died in Iran since protests began over the death of Ms. Amini, and fighting is still going on in many cities.
Ms. Amini was arrested because she was accused of breaking the law that says women should cover their hair with a hijab and their arms and legs with loose clothing.
There are reports that police officers hit Ms. Amini’s head with a baton and banged her against one of their vehicles. The police have said she had “sudden heart failure” and was not mistreated. But she was fit and healthy, according to her family.
Protests have also happened in places like Canada, Chile, and Iraq, among other places.
