Police brought a dangerous protest at the Dartford Crossing to a dramatic end after a tense stand-off this afternoon. Officers, working alongside partner agencies, deployed a specialist elevated platform to safely reach and bring down two men involved in the protest.
Both men were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit public nuisance following the incident that put lives at risk and caused major disruption to traffic and local businesses.
A dedicated specialist unit will now take over the investigation, gathering evidence to present to the Crown Prosecution Service. The primary goal is to secure a strong legal outcome to prevent any repeat of such dangerous disruptions in the future.
Chief Superintendent Simon Anslow, who led the operation, commented: “We cannot tolerate people carrying out activity which puts lives at risk and prevents people from going about their lives. I know this has been really frustrating for the public. The disruption has hit businesses hard and caused people to be late or miss appointments.”
He added, “Alongside our partners, we worked hard to resolve this complex situation as quickly and safely as possible. Now the situation has been resolved, National Highways will decide when and how the bridge will re-open.”
Chief Superintendent Anslow also emphasised the police stance on protests: “I want to reiterate; we are not anti-protest and will always seek to facilitate safe demonstrations. But it’s unacceptable for anyone to put lives in danger with reckless actions. In this case, we had to act – safely and responsibly. Thanks to the public for their patience and understanding.”
Originally published by UKNIP.
