TWELVE people have been arrested for breaching Covid-19 restrictions during an anti-lockdown protest in south-west London, the Metropolitan Police said.
A crowd of about 30 people marched down Clapham High Street on Saturday afternoon chanting “take your freedom back” while being heckled by members of the public.
The protest took place after London mayor Sadiq Khan declared a “major incident” as the spread of coronavirus threatens to “overwhelm” the capital’s hospitals.
2/2 - Others in attendance were dispersed. The policing operation continues. Gathering for the purpose of a protest is not an exemption to the rules & and people looking to attend may face enforcement action.
— Metropolitan Police Events (@MetPoliceEvents) January 9, 2021
The Met said 12 people were arrested and taken into custody.
Dozens of officers were deployed to Clapham Common to try and contain the protest, which was organised by the group StandupX and began shortly after midday.
One woman shouted from her car: “There’s a pandemic going on, you twats” as the maskless protesters headed east towards Stockwell, while another bystander called them idiots.
The small group of demonstrators eventually returned to Clapham Common park before being dispersed by police.
The protest follows similar scenes in Glasgow where one man was arrested.
The Scotland Against Lockdown group, which organises events on social media, announced last week plans to “march for freedom” through Edinburgh from Holyrood to the First Minister’s residence at Bute House.
The group held a similar protest last month, and also staged a demonstration in Glasgow’s George Square on Saturday where one man was arrested.
Police warned the public not to attend.
READ MORE: Scots warned about Edinburgh lockdown protest after arrest in Glasgow
NHS England figures showed the number of Covid patients in London hospitals stands at 7277, up 32% on the previous week.
Around eight in 10 recent positive cases of Covid-19 in London and eastern England could be the new variant discovered in the UK, according to the ONS.
The Met tweeted: “12 people have been arrested for breaching Covid regs at a protest in #ClaphamCommon for today. All have been taken into custody.
“Others in attendance were dispersed. The policing operation continues. Gathering for the purpose of a protest is not an exemption to the rules & and people looking to attend may face enforcement action.”
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