Fury on Remembrance Sunday as police form a line to deny veterans and the public entry to the Cenotaph to pay their respects to the war dead.
The morning of Remembrance Sunday saw the Queen, Prince Charles and Boris Johnson lead members of the Royal Family and politicians at the Cenotaph for a socially distanced Remembrance Sunday.
The first stroke of eleven by Big Ben signalled the beginning of the two-minute silence.
Prince Harry is said to be “deeply saddened” that Buckingham Palace “refused” to have a wreath laid on his behalf at the Cenotaph, due to the fact he left royal duties in March.
Usually, around 10,000 veterans would attend the commemorations in London, but due to COVID-19 and the new lockdown restrictions, only 26 were invited. Members of the public could not attend the event to pay their respects.
After the event, police formed a line to refuse veterans access to the Cenotaph, with tensions rising as more and more people attempted to reach it.
As members of the public gathered, one officer could be seen to push a bagpiper to the ground as he played the bagpipes in front of the officers, honouring the fallen soldiers on Remembrance Day. The piper, an ex-serviceman, was uninjured and arose to confront the officer, shouting “you’re disgusting” at him.
He added: “We’re here to pay our respects and we want that barrier removed so that we can lay a wreath, as we have done for years.”
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Many people have expressed their horror regarding the situation, with one person writing: “The police not allowing people to the Cenotaph to show their respects due to COVID, but allow Black Lives Matter protesters to climb on it and attempt to burn the flag, whilst they took the knee.”
Another said: “So sad, some of those veterans might not be around next year to pay their respects.”
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police stated: “Police are aware of a video circulating online which shows an officer using force after a man had tried to enter a restricted area in Whitehall SW1.
“The actions of the officer will be looked at in the wider context of this incident.”
