London's 'Million Mask March' protesters burn effigy of UK PM Boris Johnson

‘Resist, Defy, Do Not Comply,’ read the slogans emblazoned on the T-shirts of the Guy Fawkes masked ‘anti-vax’ anarchists at London’s ‘Million Mask March' where hundreds of thousand-strong unruly mob burnt the effigy of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Nov. 5, Friday. As the demonstrators gathered in Parliament square let off the fireworks on the bonfire night march, scuffles broke out between the UK police and the crowd, which shortly flared into arson, violence, and hurling projectiles at the officers. 

The march, that started at London’s Trafalgar Square, was aimed at defiance against the UK’s  COVID-19 restrictions and vaccination mandates. At least 8 officers from the Metropolitan Police Department were wounded, and nearly 12 arrests were made following the physical altercation between the protesters and the cops during the night, British press reports revealed, Friday. The situation turned riotous after the anti-government demonstration brought in a giant Boris Johnson effigy and set it alight in a rebuke against the government corruption and social inequality.

"A total of 12 arrests were made while policing tonight's demonstrations across London," the Metropolitan Police Department tweeted. "Those arrests were for a variety of offenses. Eight of our officers were injured. This is unacceptable,” the forces continued. “The policing operation will continue into the evening,” they went on to add. 

Crowd 'dangerously lighting fireworks and rockets,' Police complains 

London’s Million Mask March, which is held every year since 2012, turned into a protest against the COVID-19 health safety protocols in place to stop the spread. Last year similarly, the protesters defied the lockdown and took to the streets to shun the ‘stay at home’ orders and other restrictions on nonessential movements. One London’s conspiracy theorist Piers Corbyn was also reportedly spotted in the march. He was arrested during the last year’s demonstrations on charges of flouting the government instated lockdown rule. 

[An effigy of the Prime Minister was set ablaze by anti-government demonstrators. Credit:: AP]

[Protesters throw fireworks at Trafalgar Square as police try to contain the situation. Credit: AP]

[The annual march has historically been about government corruption and wealth inequality, but more recently it has also been about Covid-19 restrictions. Credit: AP]

“A crowd in Parliament Square has been dangerously lighting fireworks and rockets. Some have struck people or exploded near to the crowd, this could cause very serious injury. We have moved into the crowd to remove any fireworks and prevent people coming to harm,” an officer was quoted as saying by UK’s Sky. 

Meanwhile, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Jane Connors said: ‘Residents and visitors to central London today can expect to see a higher number of police officers on duty throughout the course of the day. Officers are there to keep people safe and to respond quickly to any potential disorder of violence.”  He went on to add: “Groups, of course, have the right to protest, but I am particularly concerned that some groups are specifically intending to travel into London to deliberately cause violence and disorder including targeting police officers. This will not be tolerated and our policing plan has been developed with this potential risk in mind.”