Police officer rides headfirst into traffic lights amid 'pandemonium' in London
WARNING - DISTRESSING CONTENT: A mounted police officer has been ripped from her saddle in London after her horse charged towards a traffic light pole during rowdy protests in London.
Footage showed the moment her body was collected by the pole, causing her to fall and slam into the pavement below as crowds yelled out in shock, and some cheered.
Images shared by witnesses captured the aftermath of the frightening event, with the officer quickly tended to by onlookers as the clearly agitated horse trotted through the crowd.
One witness suggested the horse had been spooked by protesters before rushing headfirst into the traffic lights.
Another uploaded a video showing chaotic crowds dashing around in panic as the horse darts through groups of protesters.
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“How terrifying for the poor police horses in this video. Why throw things at the police? What pandemonium, in the middle of a pandemic,” they wrote.
Police shared an update to social media stating the officer was being treated for her injuries in hospital, and the horse had made its own way back to the nearby stables.
“The officer is currently in hospital, receiving treatment for her injuries which are not life threatening,” authorities wrote.
“The officer fell from her horse, and we are examining the full circumstances of what took place.”
“The horse, uninjured, made its own way back to the stables, nearby,” they added.
How terrifying for the poor police horses in this video. Why throw things at the police? What pandemonium, in the middle of a pandemic pic.twitter.com/LdV2LuvCjU
— Rupert Myers (@RupertMyers) June 6, 2020
The incident occurred as thousands of British anti-racism protesters clashed with mounted police in central London to voice their anger at police brutality after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
After a largely peaceful demonstration on Saturday, local time, small numbers of protesters near Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Downing Street residence threw bottles at police, and mounted officers charged at protesters to push them back.
Thousands of protesters also crowded into the square outside parliament, holding "Black Lives Matter" placards and ignoring government advice to avoid large gatherings due to the risk from coronavirus.
Later a group of protesters attacked a dummy resembling US President Donald Trump, while others threw flares.
More than a thousand protesters marched past the US Embassy on the south bank of the River Thames.
Saturday's protests reflect global anger over police treatment of ethnic minorities, sparked by the May 25 killing of Mr Floyd when a white police officer detaining him knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes as fellow officers stood by.
With Reuters
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