As many as 15,000 people turned out to Trafalgar Square in London on Saturday to protest against the reinstatement of coronavirus restrictions, including a 10 p.m. curfew on pubs and bars across Britain.
A massive group of people gathered around Nelson’s Column, a monument in the square, where protesters chanted “we will not consent” and “we will win” in videos shared to Twitter on Saturday.
Thousands of anti-lockdown protesters attended a “We Do Not Consent” rally in central London, with no social distancing in sight.
At least four police officers and three demonstrators have been injured during the protests.
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Demonstrators clashed with police who shut the event down, citing the number of people in close proximity without facial coverings. The Metropolitan Police of London warned protesters that they were “putting people in danger of transmitting the virus” before moving in on the group and arresting a few dozen people.
At least three protesters and four officers were treated for wounds after a group slammed into the police outside the National Gallery.
The event was organized by the anti-lockdown group Stop New Normal, whose mission statement says it is working to unite “the many groups fighting the Covid Contagion Fear measures which have cut living standards, jobs, rights and freedoms.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who almost succumbed to the disease in April, earlier this week said that the restrictions are being leveraged to slow the spread of the virus.
“The critical thing we must do is stop the disease spreading between households,” Johnson said. “That is why people will only be allowed to leave their home for very limited purposes.”
