Trouble erupted after police asked a 200-strong group, who had gathered to celebrate the Iron Lady's passing, to peacefully move on; bottles, shop windows were smashed
A policeman has been left seriously ill and five other officers were injured after they were attacked by crowd throwing bottles and cans at them during a Margaret Thatcher ‘death party’.
The officer was rushed to hospital by paramedics and was being treated for a ‘serious neck injury’. Trouble erupted after police asked a 200-strong group, who had gathered in the Easton area of Bristol to celebrate the Iron Lady’s passing, to peacefully move on.
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Drink to her death: People hold banners during a party to celebrate the death of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. People came out to celebrate the former PM’s death and drank champagne. However, things went awry when cops asked the people to disperse. Pics/AFP, Getty Images
The anti-Thatcher group refused and began hurling missiles at the police. A patrol car was damaged and rubbish bins were set on fire. One person was arrested for violent disorder.
Chief Inspector Mark Jackson, of Avon and Somerset Police, said, “We were called to Chelsea Road, Easton. Around 200 people had gathered to have a street party and refused police requests to peacefully disperse. Bottles and cans were thrown at officers, six of whom suffered injuries. One remains in hospital. A police vehicle was damaged and one person was arrested for violent disorder. Some small bin fires were also started and the fire service also attended.”
Hundreds of people across the country held impromptu street parties to mark Lady Thatcher’s death. In Brixton, two women were arrested on suspicion of burglary after a crowd of 500 took to the streets. A shop window was smashed and paint was thrown at an estate agent’s office.
Masked people climbed
on the front of the Ritzy Cinema and changed the film listings tiles to read ‘Margaret Thatchers dead. Equality is the key’. Pictures of anti-Thatcher graffiti scrawled on walls in Brixton also appeared on Twitter, with one reading, “You snatched my milk! & our hope” and there were reports of windows being smashed and shops looted. In Leeds, people cheered and handed out ‘Maggie death cake’. In other parts of the country, a chorus of ‘so long the witch is dead’ erupted from those gathered as a cork from a champagne bottle was popped.
Taiwan TV apologises for Queen mix-up
Television bosses from Taipei-based channel CTI TV have been forced to make an embarrassing apology after illustrating their Margaret Thatcher obituary with images of the Queen. As the presenter discussed Lady Thatcher’s death, the Queen was pictured waving to crowds, receiving bouquets of flowers from supporters.
Queen to attend Margaret Thatcher’s funeral on April 17
Baroness Thatcher’s ceremonial funeral at St Paul’s Cathedral will be attended by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, Buckingham Palace has confirmed. The funeral will be held next Wednesday and will be a precedent as it is the first ceremonial funeral for a former British prime minister the Queen has ever attended. She attended the state funeral of Winston Churchill. There are no plans for other members of the Royal family to attend and the Queen will be acting in her capacity as the head of state. Lady Thatcher’s body is currently being held in an undisclosed location after it was removed from the Ritz Hotel in the early hours of the morning. She died from a stroke as she sat up in bed reading on Monday morning, aged 87. Members of the armed services will line the route of the procession from the Palace of Westminster during the ceremonial funeral, the level granted to the Queen Mother and Lady Diana, with full military honours. Lady Thatcher specifically did not want a full state funeral, her spokesman Lord Bell said. “ She specifically did not want a state funeral and nor did her family,” said Lord Bell. “And she didn’t want a fly-past as she thought that was a waste of money — somewhat in character you might think.”u00a0
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