Third person charged over Bristol unrest

A man from Kingswood is due to appear at Bristol Magistrates Court

Author: James DiamondPublished 6th Aug 2024

A third person has been charged with violent disorder after clashes in Bristol between far right demonstrators and counter protestors, on Saturday (3rd August).

Ashley Harris (36) from Chipperfield Drive in Kingswood is due to appear at Bristol Magistrates Court this morning.

Two other men aged 45 and 39, one of whom is from North East Wales, were charged with section four public order offences on Sunday.

It comes with violent disorder continuing in towns and cities across England following the fatal stabbing of three young girls in Southport last week.

Six people were arrested last night as violence broke out in Plymouth.

Fireworks, stones, glass bottles and bricks were thrown, with several officers sustaining minor injuries.

Devon and Cornwall Police said a number of members of the public were also injured, with two taken to hospital.

Across the UK more than 370 people have been arrested.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland said it was "dealing with ongoing disorder" in the Donegall Road area of south Belfast on Monday night, with the BBC reporting riot officers had stones and petrol bombs thrown at them.

Sky News reported on Monday that one of its vans was attacked in Birmingham by a "knife-wielding man".

The news outlet reported its journalists had observed "a large gathering of Muslim men who said they were preparing to 'defend' the street from another rumoured far-right protest in the area.

On Monday, the Prime Minister said a "standing army" of specialist police officers was being assembled to crack down on rioting, as he called for perpetrators to be named and shamed.

Sir Keir Starmer vowed to "ramp up criminal justice" after an emergency Cobra meeting was called following disorder over the weekend which saw rioters storm hotels housing asylum seekers.

The PA news agency understands the Prime Minister's so-called standing army is an expansion of the existing mutual aid scheme, which allows officers to be deployed around the country as needed.

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