Officers make arrest following Weymouth protests
A 38-year-old man from the Weymouth area has been arrested today, Thursday 8 August 2024, on suspicion of violent disorder and assaulting an emergency worker in connection with the protests that took place on Sunday 4 August 2024 in the town.
Following the review of footage, enquiries were carried out at the man’s home address – he was arrested and taken to custody where he remains and is being interviewed by detectives.
Assistant Chief Constable Mark Callaghan said: “Our approach to recent demonstrations has been clear, we will facilitate safe and legal protest but we must balance this with minimising impact on our communities. Where individuals are suspected of committing public order or criminal offences, we will deal with this robustly as this will not be tolerated.
“Dorset Police has a team of officers dedicated to reviewing crime reports and video footage of protest activity in order to identify any crimes that may have been committed. These will be swiftly investigated with suspected offenders being put before the courts.
“Our role is to facilitate safe and legal protest and where individuals are intent on acting outside of the law, they can face arrest either during demonstrations or in the immediate aftermath. We are working closely with the Crown Prosecution Service in order to seek swift justice.”