At least five police officers were seriously injured and 12 people arrested after a “violent disorder” broke out near the Iranian embassy in London on Sunday, the Metropolitan Police said.
Dozens of demonstrators gathered at the embassy on Sunday afternoon, as protests spread across the world following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.
Amini died on Sept. 16 in police custody after being detained by Iran’s morality police for “inappropriate attire.” Her death sparked several days of violent protests in Iran and protests in a number of Western cities.
While the majority of the protesters on Sunday were peaceful, the Met said, “a significant group who arrived actively sought to confront officers and protestors from groups they were not in agreement with.”
According to the force, the disorder initially broke out in the immediate vicinity of the embassy before moving to Marble Arch and then to Maida Vale where the Islamic Centre of England—a body founded by Ayatollah Khamenei’s representative—was targeted.
As the police sought to protect the security of the building, the Met said, they came under attack from protesters, who threw masonry, bottles, and other projectiles at them, injuring a number of officers.
At least five are in hospital with injuries including broken bones, the Met said, adding that 12 people were arrested on suspicion of violent disorder.
‘Serious Offences’
Footage shared online showed angry protesters shouting and pushing against officers who had formed a line in front of the embassy on Sunday afternoon.Crowds chanted “Death to the Islamic Republic” and waved Iran’s former national flag from before 1979.
One particular clip shows two officers wrestling a protester to the ground who appears to have broken through the police line.
Commander Karen Findlay said the police know that some people who committed “serious offences” have slipped the net.
“In the coming days, we will be using all the tools at our disposal—including CCTV and other footage—to identify those people and bring them to justice,” she said.
Iran’s foreign ministry said on Sunday it had summoned Britain’s ambassador Simon Shercliff in response to the “hostile character” of London-based Persian language media.
Britain’s foreign ministry said it championed media freedom and condemned Iran’s “crackdown on protesters, journalists, and internet freedom.”
