I, like so many others, watched the shocking scenes play out in Bristol over the weekend.

What started as a peaceful (albeit illegal due to the current Covid-19 restrictions) protest descended into chaos, violence and disorder, leaving 20 Avon and Somerset police officers assaulted or injured.

Officers from Wiltshire Police were deployed to support their colleagues in Bristol and I want to publicly thank them for their service.

Firstly, I want to address the protests themselves.

This is an area which has put policing in a very difficult position, due to the ongoing pandemic.

The right to peaceful protest is something which is a long-held and important value in this country and something which, in normal times away from lockdown, the police facilitate and support.

However, Covid-19 has brought about many challenges, including the public health aspect of large groups of people gathering together.

The police are not there to make decisions around legislation and restrictions, but to ensure the law is upheld.

I feel it is important that the public distinguishes the difference between the two.

I know that the Government’s Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill was the focus of the weekend protests and again, it’s important to be clear about what that Bill relates to and whose Bill it is.

The police do not write bills and they do not introduce new legislation, that is down to the Government.

And, while a lot of focus has been on the aspect of the Bill which considers restrictions on protests, the situation really is much more far-reaching than that.

It covers topics including sentence increases for the most serious criminals, monitoring of terrorism offenders when they are released from prison and a tougher stance on adults who have abused their positions of trust.

All of this highlights the complexities and nuances that surround the debate which led to the horrific scenes in Bristol.

But what is not up for debate and what cannot be explained or excused, is the violence and abuse targeted at police officers.

The subject of assaults on officers is something which both I and the Chief Constable have been keen to highlight in recent years.

Our police officers and staff go out to work each day to protect the public, putting themselves in harm’s way to serve our communities.

Nobody should come home from work bruised, degraded, traumatised or injured, and voices from all sides of the political debate must unite to condemn the violence in Bristol in the strongest possible terms.

What began initially as a peaceful protest was hijacked by thuggery and criminality and those responsible must face justice.