Five people were arrested in London for breaching Covid restrictions as protestors carrying Black Lives Matter signs demonstrated in Parliament Sqaure following the death of a 24-year-old man.
Mohamud Mohammed Hassan was arrested on Friday evening last week after reports of a disturbance at his home but released the following morning without charge.
He was found dead at the same property later on Saturday evening, with his family claiming he had been assaulted while in custody.
Five people were arrested in London for breaching Covid restrictions as protestors carrying Black Lives Matter signs demonstrated in Parliament Sqaure
The group, which police described as a ‘small gathering’, took to the streets in Parliament Square to protest the death of Mohamud Mohammed Hassan
Protesters clashed with police and several people were arrested for breaching Covid rules
Several people were pictured being led away from the scene at Parliament Square by police
Mohamud Mohammed Hassan was arrested on Friday evening last week after reports of a disturbance at his home but released the following morning without charge. He died later the same day
Metropolitan Police confirmed officers dispersed a gathering of people in Parliament Square at around 5pm.
The force said: ‘Officers engaged with those present and the majority dispersed. Five people were arrested for breaching Health Protection Regulations.’
Another person was reported by means of a Fixed Penalty Notice for breaching Health Protection Regulations.
The protestors gathered in the street, some holding signs which read ‘Justice 4 Mohamud Hassan #BLM’ and ‘Say his name Mohamud Hassan #BLM’.
One woman was captured on video shouting at a group of masked officers before they begin leading her away to a police van as she shouts ‘no justice, no peace’.
Police described Hassan’s death as ‘sudden and unexplained’ and say there were no indications of misconduct issues or excessive force used by their officers.
One woman, left, was captured shouting at masked police officers before they promptly arrested her
The woman was seen shouting ‘no justice, no peace’ as she was led away and placed into a van by several officers
The group walked along the street with megaphones and held up signs in support of Black Lives Matter
Metropolitan Police confirmed officers dispersed a gathering of people in Parliament Square at around 5pm
On Tuesday afternoon, a large crowd of protesters gathered outside Cardiff Bay police station.
They chanted ‘no justice, no peace’ as they made their way to the police station, and held up signs that read ‘Black Lives Matter’ and ‘stop police brutality’.
One protester, Bianca Ali, 29, said she had joined the demonstration because she believed the police had ‘murdered a black man’.
She said: ‘The police have murdered a black man. We want justice, we want transparency, we want answers, we want the truth.
‘We want them to know that we will not stand for this and we’re here to make an example of one death that it cannot continue and spiral into more.’
She added: ‘It was a young boy, he had a baby on the way, he was married, he was settled down, and he was arrested for a breach of the peace which resulted in his death.’
Hassan was found dead at the same property later on Saturday evening, with his family claiming he had been assaulted while in custody
The protestors gathered in the street, some holding signs which read ‘Justice 4 Mohamud Hassan #BLM’ and ‘Say his name Mohamud Hassan #BLM’
Police described Hassan’s death as ‘sudden and unexplained’ and say there were no indications of misconduct issues or excessive force used by their officers
Police officers stood around speaking to protestors and were heard on a video asking people to ‘social distance if you can’
Neil McEvoy, an MS who represents South Wales Central in the Senedd for the Welsh National Party, also attended the protest and said he wanted to see transparency from the police and the officers involved suspended from duty pending an investigation.
He also said South Wales Police had a ‘bad history’ with black communities, including the wrongful conviction of three Cardiff men for the murder of Lynette White in 1988.
Mr McEvoy said: ‘I believe in due process but there has to be due process.
‘And the problem in South Wales is when you are quiet about things, due process does not happen. And there’s a terrible history in South Wales Police of miscarriages of justice.’
Earlier on Tuesday, Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford described reports of Mr Hassan’s death as ‘deeply concerning’.
Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price asked Mr Drakeford whether he would commit to helping Mr Hassan’s family find answers during Questions to the First Minister at the Senedd.
‘Mohamud Hassan was a fit and healthy 24-year-old. On Friday evening, he was arrested at a property in Cardiff where neighbours reportedly spoke of a significant commotion,’ Mr Price said.
‘Having been taken into custody at Cardiff Bay police station, Mr Hassan was released without charge on Saturday. Later that evening he tragically died.
More than 200 people marched from the city centre to the police station around a mile away to demand ‘justice’ following the death of 24-year-old man
‘Witnesses were reportedly shocked by Mr Hassan’s condition following his release, saying that his tracksuit was covered in blood and he had severe injuries and bruising.
‘There can be no doubt that this is a deeply harrowing case and every effort should be made to seek the truth of what happened – why was Mohamud Hassan arrested, what happened during his arrest, did he have legal representation, was there any aftercare, why did this young man die?
‘Whilst we should not prejudge the outcome of any inquiry, will you commit First Minister to doing everything within your power to help the family find those answers and do you support their call for an independent investigation of this case?’
Mr Drakeford said he had found reports of Mr Hassan’s death ‘deeply concerning’ and said the circumstances ‘must be properly investigated’.
He said: ‘I understand that the police have already referred, as they would have to, this matter to the independent police investigation service.
‘The first step in any inquiry will have to be to allow them to carry out their work. I absolutely expect that to be done rigorously, and with full and visible independence.
‘I’m glad that the family have secured legal assistance to them in order to pursue their very understandable concerns.
Police described his death as ‘sudden and unexplained’ and say there were no indications of misconduct issues or excessive force used by their officers, but his family dispute this
Neil McEvoy, an MS who represents South Wales Central in the Senedd for the Welsh National Party, also attended the protest and said he wanted to see transparency from the police and the officers involved suspended from duty pending an investigation
‘And if there are things the Welsh Government can do – then I will make sure that we attend properly to those without prejudging in any way the outcome of the independent investigations that now need to follow.’
His aunt, Zainab Hassan, told BBC Wales she saw Mr Hassan following his release on Saturday with ‘lots of wounds on his body and lots of bruises’.
‘He didn’t have these wounds when he was arrested and when he came out of Cardiff Bay police station – he had them,’ she said.
‘Nothing we do is going to bring him back but we will not rest for a second until we have justice.’
South Wales Police have urged against speculation, saying their early findings ‘indicate no misconduct issues and no excessive force’, but referred Mr Hassan’s death to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).