Labour councillor Ricky Jones arrested after allegedly telling protest ‘fascists need to have throats cut’ | Politics News
A suspended Labour councillor has been arrested after allegedly telling a protest that fascists needed to have their throats cut.
Metropolitan Police confirmed the arrest in a tweet which included the original video of Ricky Jones, a local councillor in Dartford in Kent, appearing to make the comments.
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The force said: “Officers have arrested a man aged in his 50s at an address in south-east London.
“He was held on suspicion of encouraging murder and for an offence under the Public Order Act. He is in custody at a south London police station.”
In the clip reposted by the Met, a man tells a crowd: “They are disgusting Nazi fascists and we need to cut all their throats and get rid of them all.”
Protesters stood pavement-to-pavement on the road behind him and held placards which read: “Smash fascism and racism by any means necessary.”
The comments are in reference to people who have taken part in violent disorder and riots at towns throughout the country, which have seen a mosque damaged in Southport and hotels housing asylum seekers stormed.
Labour earlier confirmed Jones had been suspended by the party in relation to the video.
This means he will no longer be able to sit as a Labour councillor as he has had the Labour whip removed, so will sit as an independent.
A Labour spokesman said: “This behaviour is completely unacceptable and it will not be tolerated.
“The councillor has been suspended from the party.”
Protesters gathered in Walthamstow, London, on Wednesday in a bid to counter the violent disorder, which has led to more than 480 arrests, according to the National Police Chiefs’ Council.
Speaking after the anti-racism demonstration in Walthamstow, Met chief Sir Mark Rowley told broadcasters: “It went off very peacefully last night – a couple of locations we had some local criminals turn out and try and create a bit of antisocial behaviour, and we arrested a few of them.”
