Protests near London over death of black man after police chase
A violent protest has erupted in a London suburb following the death of a black man after he was chased by police.
Friday’s protest in Hackney in northeast London began peacefully, but violent clashes began after fireworks and bottles were hurled at riot police, the BBC said.
Dozens of people gathered outside the convenience store in Dalston where Charles Rashan was pinned to the floor by police.
Video posted to social media showed riot police and officers on horseback trying to break up groups of protesters.
The protesters pushed mattresses, wheelie bins, traffic cones and rubbish into the street, blocking the road. Riot police vans came under attack, with the crowd hurling bottles and other missiles at officers.
Shop windows were also smashed, with those involved described by an eyewitness as “very, very angry.” It is not yet known if there have been any arrests.
In a protest on Monday, about 150 people rallied across the Stoke Newington police station. The crowd chanted “no justice, no peace” and some carried placards which read “Black Lives Matter.”
Charles, 22, died in hospital last Saturday (July 22) after being chased by police and pinned to the floor. He was taken to Royal London hospital, where he died a short time later.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission has launched an investigation into Charles’ death. In an update on Friday, the IPCC said it had collected videos from cameras worn by police officers and CCTV.
“We will independently examine the circumstances of this incident, we will follow the evidence, we will consider whether there is an indication there may have been misconduct or criminality, and we will seek to answer the questions that Rashan’s family and the community of Hackney understandably have,” a statement by the IPCC said.
