Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Protesters clash with police amid ‘community tensions’

There is still a heavy police presence on the scene after a demonstration turned violent.

George Lithgow
Saturday 30 December 2023 20:40 GMT
Police responded to a disturbance near to the Lighthouse Theatre in Camberwell Road (Yui Mok/PA)
Police responded to a disturbance near to the Lighthouse Theatre in Camberwell Road (Yui Mok/PA) (PA Wire)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Protesters have clashed with police in south London after a demonstration related to “tensions in the Eritrean community”, Scotland Yard said.

Social media footage of the incident in Camberwell appeared to show protesters wielding sticks clashing with Met Police officers, bringing traffic to a standstill.

Eight people were arrested for offences including violent disorder, criminal damage, possession of an offensive weapon and assault on an emergency worker, the Met said.

Four officers were injured, one of whom was taken to hospital and has now been discharged.

There is still a heavy police presence on the scene in Camberwell Road, where a demonstration saw approximately 50 people gathering outside a private venue before violence broke out.

The clashes are said to have taken place near The Lighthouse Theatre.

Additional officers were called in to provide back-up, Scotland Yard said.

A dispersal order has been put in place in the area until 7am tomorrow, giving police the power to exclude a person from the area.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in