Two London police officers have been attacked in an incident caught on film by members of the public, sparking condemnation from the UK’s Home Secretary and the city’s mayor.
Videos posted to social media appeared to show a male officer being pinned to the ground and kicked, before a female officer intervenes. A squabble then plays out for around a minute between the two officers and a group of men.
The incident on June 10 has drawn a sharp response from the UK’s police association and Home Secretary Priti Patel, who wrote on Twitter that the attack was “sickening, shocking & disgraceful.”
“We are not society’s punchbags,” the Metropolitan Police Federation’s chairman Ken Marsh added in a statement. “On this occasion our colleagues are thankfully only reporting minor injuries—but the reality is it could have been much worse.”
The Metropolitan Police confirmed on Thursday that two men have been arrested.
London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, said, “Attacks on our police will not be tolerated.” He added, “These brave officers were doing their duty and assisting the public—I wish them a speedy recovery.”
It comes following Black Lives Matter protests and riots across the UK on the weekend.
Khan has supported the protests, which saw tens of thousands take to the streets in London and other UK cities.
Metropolitan Police Federation Chairman Ken Marsh said he was “very disappointed” by the mayor’s response to riots in which more than 30 police officers were injured.
The CNN Wire and NTD staff contributed to this report.
