Five rioters have been convicted and sentenced to a combined total of more than a decade in prison for their role in the far-left, anti-police riot in Bristol, England, earlier this year.
On March 21, hundreds of far-left rioters opposing a proposed bill expanding police's ability to crack down on unlawful demonstrations rioted at the Bridewell Police Station. There, they set multiple police vehicles on fire and tried breaking inside the facility.
21-year-old Brandon Lloyd, of Bristol; 21-year-old Kane Adamson, of Bristol; 46-year-old Stuart Quinn, of Bristol and 18-year-old Kain Simmonds, of Birmingham were sentenced last week at the Bristol Crown Court to a total of 13 years and 11 months after pleading guilty to being part of a group which used or threatened violence at the riot.
25-year-old Yasmin Schneider, of Bristol, was also sentenced to five months in prison after admitting to exposing herself to police and urinating on the feet of an officer.
During the riot in March, the black-clad rioters held hammer and sickle banners and raised symbols of Antifa. The rioters also hurled explosive mortar fireworks at police, weaponized barricades as battering rams and set vehicles and dumpsters on fire.
Groups that called for comrades to attend the "Kill the Bill" direct action included the Bristol chapters of a Black Lives Matter group, Extinction Rebellion and Socialist Workers Party. Several local Antifa groups as well as Momentum Bristol, the hard-left wing group within the Labour Party, also promoted the "Kill the Bill" event on social media.
Kane Adamson, who was sentenced to three years and six months in prison, threw large-sized projectiles like road signs and an electric scooter at law enforcement. He also threatened police and repeatedly punched and kicked their shields.
Brandon Lloyd, sentenced to three years and 11 months in prison, attacked police shields, cornered and assaulted an officer as well as kicked and hurled projectiles at the windows of the police station.
Kain Simmonds was sentenced to three years and three months at a young offenders institution after he sprayed a chemical in the direction of an officer's face, kicked police shields and repeatedly struck a police van with a baton.
Stuart Quinn incited others to assault police officers, threw projectiles at the police station and vandalized a police van. He is jailed for three years and three months.
Prior to Friday's hearing, Judge James Patrick viewed evidence gathered by the investigation, including police video from body-worn cameras, CCTV and mobile phone footage. He said that he was moved after reading all of the victim statements.
"Some officers thought they would die and some officers could not even speak about it to their families," Patrick stated in a press release. Authorities were struck, spat on, kicked and punched whilst defenceless on the ground, Patrick said. "They (the officers) are all public servants and are all human beings. What you did was to dehumanise them," Patrick said.
The investigation and prosecution into the riot continues even as flyers were posted around Bristol instructing rioters to destroy any possible incriminating evidence. So far, 75 individuals have been arrested and 29 suspects, including the five sentenced Friday, have been charged. The damage to the police station and police vehicles cost around £212,000 ($295,000 USD).
In response to last week's convictions, Antifa groups Bristol Anarchist Black Cross and Bristol Defendant Solidarity have launched a GoFundMe campaign to send money to the five imprisoned rioters. They have raised more than £10,000 so far.
"We are writing this statement to make clear that we support those who have been sentenced today, and that we are proud of them for fighting back," the groups wrote in a joint statement on Friday.
GoFundMe has not responded to The Post Millennial's request for comment.
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