First damages awards for lockdown protests
Avon and Somerset police has become the first police force to admit the unlawful arrest and imprisonment of protesters under lockdown powers. The police force has apologised and agreed to pay damages to four protestors who travelled to a Magistrates’ Court to support those charged with pulling down the statue of Edward Colston on 25 January 2021. Avon and Somerset made it clear that it considered all protest to be unlawful during the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (All Tiers) (England) Regulations 2020. It now accepts that this interpretation was wrong.
Jude Bunting was instructed by Gus Silverman of Irwin Mitchell and Tony Murphy of Bhatt Murphy for the four protesters.
