LONDON: Protesters at a central London anti-lockdown rally scuffled with police on Saturday as officers tried to break up the demonstration because it had failed to follow social distancing rules.
Chanting “Freedom” and carrying banners saying “We Do Not Consent” and “COVID 1984”, thousands of people had crammed into Trafalgar Square to protest against the coronavirus pandemic restrictions.
Video footage showed officers briefly using batons to drive the protesters back.
The police, who said some officers had been hurt, ordered the protest to disperse because demonstrators had failed to socially distance or wear masks, meaning it was no longer exempt from the national rules that limit gatherings to six people.
“We want to be clear, this protest is no longer exempt from the regulations,” the Metropolitan…