Authorities invoked section 60AA of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 to require many protesters to reveal their faces, basing the decision on suspicion that some participants were seeking to hide their identity during riots around a migrant hotel in Bristol. According to Avon and Somerset Police, the police intervention included not only identifying people, but also implementing evacuation procedures to prevent escalation of violence and regain control after a confrontation between two rival groups.
Media reported that the events broke out on Saturday night, with two opposing demonstrations in the vicinity of the temporary housing. According to the report issued by Avon and Somerset Police, five individuals were arrested as a result of the events: four were accused of attacking law enforcement officers, and the fifth was arrested after refusing to reveal his identity when asked by officials in the operation. In addition, one of the police officers involved in the operation was injured during the operation and required medical care at a local hospital.
The media reported that the operation came in response to escalating tension resulting from the simultaneous presence of opposition groups in the hotel area, which led to violence that was contained after the intervention of security forces. Avon and Somerset Police detailed in their statements that the police force had ordered the withdrawal of demonstrators from the central area of Bristol to neutralize the risk of more serious altercations and reduce the risk to participants and the rest of the population in the vicinity.
Chief Inspector Keith Smith explained, as reported by the media in the official statement, that several arrests were the result of resistance to part of the counter-demonstration, where, according to the police, some members showed a clear intention to cause trouble. Smith stressed that agents had strengthened legal powers, which allowed for specific actions, such as requesting the removal of face coverings or clothing that made it difficult to identify people involved in altercations.
According to the account gathered by the media based on police information, these special powers that were activated due to the threat to public order allowed agents to carry out arrests and regain control of the area. The authorities indicated that, after today, an investigation was opened to identify the persons responsible for the assault on the injured client and any other participant in the violent events, with the aim of ensuring that they are brought to justice later.
Those responsible for the operation indicated in their statements to the media that the operation focused on mitigating the effects of the events and restoring calm to the city. The extraordinary measures sought to prevent further confrontations and protect protesters, residents and staff of the migrant reception hotel, who remained in the building while the police actions took place.
Avon and Somerset Police, in statements collected by the media, assessed today’s result as an effective enforcement of current legislation on covering the face at public events. In addition, he stressed that the situation highlights the challenge of managing competing demonstrations regarding the settlement of migrants in the region. According to the media, the open investigation will continue in the coming days, while the police maintain their presence in the area to ensure that quarrels do not recur and to ensure that coexistence and public safety are maintained in the vicinity of the host hotel.
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