Police have arrested a man in his 50s on suspicion of encouraging murder in comments made at a London counter-protest on Wednesday.
The Met said, “Officers have arrested a man aged in his 50s at an address in South East London.”
“He was held on suspicion of encouraging murder and for an offence under the Public Order Act. He is in custody at a south London police station,” the statement continued.
The video showed a man who said, “They are disgusting Nazi fascists and we need to cut all their throats and get rid of them all.”
A Labour spokesperson confirmed earlier on Thursday that Jones has been suspended by the party in relation to the video.
The spokesperson said that the behaviour was “completely unacceptable and it will not be tolerated.”
While he is suspended, Jones cannot sit on Labour’s benches during Dartford Borough Council meetings.
Dwindling Number of Riots and Protests as Police Presence Increased
After a week of unrest, the number of people attending protests and riots across the country had decreased by Wednesday, as police presence intensified.Police forces nationwide had prepared for 100 anti-immigration protests, including in London, where the Met deployed over 1,300 officers. However, in most locations, disorder and rioting did not materialise.
Counter-protests did take place, notably in the capital, as well as in Brighton, Bristol, Liverpool, and Sheffield.
Speaking after the counter-demonstration in Walthamstow, London, Scotland Yard’s chief Sir Mark Rowley told broadcasters, “It went off very peacefully last night—a couple of locations we had some local criminals turn out and try and create a bit of antisocial behaviour, and we arrested a few of them.”
Home Office minister Dame Diana Johnson said that the increased number of police on the streets and recent prosecutions had acted as a deterrence.
Johnson told Sky News on Thursday morning, “I think that swift justice we’re seeing is also helping to make people think twice about getting involved on the streets.”
