Two London police officers attacked in ‘shocking’ incident

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.

Wednesday’s incident 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 largely peaceful anti-racism protests across the UK at the weekend, which saw some clashes between police and activists.

Khan has supported the protests, which saw tens of thousands take to the streets in London and other UK cities, but he condemned the small number of demonstrators who were involved in intense scenes with officers.

As in the United States, many protesters have been highlighting police brutality against black people and the higher rate at which black people are imprisoned.