Student fire bomber hunted by police: Fees rioter filmed in Parliament Square

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12 April 2012

A hooded student rioter seen wielding a firebomb during the tuition fee protests in London is being hunted by police, it was revealed today.

The man was filmed running across Parliament Square towards a crowd of protesters and police.

The video was uploaded to YouTube by a woman protester who filmed it on a mobile phone and is the first evidence petrol bombs were used at the riots. Detectives say the device could have seriously injured protesters and police.

The film shows the man running towards a crowd, who flee in panic as he approaches them in the square.

But the footage of the event during the December 9 protests does not show him throwing the bomb and it is not clear what happens next. Det Chief Supt Matt Horne, leading the investigation to track the rioters, said: "The right to peaceful protest is fundamental but what we released today shows the unlawful side of protest.

"An individual is carrying what app-ears to be a petrol bomb, putting others in clear danger. If he did throw it then this could have led to serious injury to protesters and police officers."

Police released the film, with permission from the woman who took it, as they revealed they have so far arrested a total of 206 people over the riots.

Officers also released 10 new images of suspects involved in disorder during the November 24 protests — and pictures of a man who was part of attacks on Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall's convoy on December 9.

The young man, who booted one of the cars in the convoy, is also seen throwing a fence at police in Parliament Square and trying to kick in the windows of Topshop in Oxford Circus .

He said 80 officers and staff on Operation Malone were involved in tracing suspects. Police estimate the inquiry could take as long as a year because of the painstaking work of examining thousands of hours of footage. Mr Horne said the public response to police appeals was encouraging, with hundreds reporting suspects' names.

Many who attended the protests had given officers footage from their own phones, though most of the evidence came from CCTV and media channels.

"A lot of protesters feel pretty let down by the actions of people on these marches," said Mr Horne.

Police are still hunting a couple, including a young girl in glasses, caught on CCTV as they attacked the Rolls-Royce carrying Charles and Camilla in Regent Street. The majority of people arrested so far are men aged 15 to 22 — and most had not set out intent on violence.

But detectives say there is a hard core bent on violent action. They also have evidence of gangs who targeted the protests to carry out robberies.

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