Anti-lockdown protesters chanting ‘freedom’ clash with police

Anti-lockdown protesters chanting ‘freedom’ clash with police as hundreds march through streets of Bournemouth and Liverpool in fight against Covid restrictions

  • Arrests were made, with some protesters being pepper sprayed as they grappled with officers on the ground
  • Social distancing was nowhere to be seen as huge crowds came together to demonstrate in the drizzle
  • The UK today recorded 391 new hospital coronavirus deaths in the highest Saturday increase since May 2 

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Anti-lockdown protesters have clashed with police at marches today as hundreds took to the streets in a fight against coronavirus restrictions.

Rallies were held in Bournemouth and Liverpool, where a growing crowd chanted ‘freedom’ as they marched through the city in the rain this afternoon.

The group in Merseyside have been shepherded by police, who have moved in to make arrests, with some protesters being pepper sprayed as they grappled with officers on the ground.

It is thought that the protest began at 1pm and started with around 100 people gathered on Church Street, before the group grew in size.

There were similar scenes on the south coast, with social distancing nowhere to be seen as activists marched through the seaside town of Bournemouth, holding placards reading ‘freedom’ and ‘the pandemic is over’.

It comes as Britain today recorded 391 new hospital deaths in the highest Saturday increase since May – up 21 since last Saturday.

A man is arrested and pepper sprayed at a large anti lockdown protest in Liverpool today that saw hundreds march around the streets of the city

Police wearing face coverings restrain one of the protesters at the large rally in the rain through Liverpool city centre today

Police wearing face coverings restrain one of the protesters at the large rally in the rain through Liverpool city centre today

Large numbers of protesters face police at a large anti lockdown protest in Liverpool today that saw hundreds march around the streets of the city

Large numbers of protesters face police at a large anti lockdown protest in Liverpool today that saw hundreds march around the streets of the city

A man is arrested by two officers during the demonstration in the drizzle in Liverpool city centre earlier this afternoon

A man is arrested by two officers during the demonstration in the drizzle in Liverpool city centre earlier this afternoon

Police grapple with a protester on the ground as crowds of others watch on during a day of demonstrations in Liverpool

Police grapple with a protester on the ground as crowds of others watch on during a day of demonstrations in Liverpool 

A man comes face to face with a police officer as scenes turned ugly during an anti-lockdown protest in Liverpool today

A man comes face to face with a police officer as scenes turned ugly during an anti-lockdown protest in Liverpool today

A man is arrested and pepper sprayed at a large anti lockdown protest in Liverpool today that saw hundreds march around the streets of the city

A man is arrested and pepper sprayed at a large anti lockdown protest in Liverpool today that saw hundreds march around the streets of the city

A man is restrained by police officers during the rally in which people marched through Liverpool shouting 'freedom'

A man is restrained by police officers during the rally in which people marched through Liverpool shouting ‘freedom’

An anti-lockdown protester is seen in a Guy Fawkes mask as the march in Bournemouth heads through the town centre

An anti-lockdown protester is seen in a Guy Fawkes mask as the march in Bournemouth heads through the town centre

Crowds of protesters marched through Bournemouth on a dreary afternoon to oppose the government's Covid restrictions

Crowds of protesters marched through Bournemouth on a dreary afternoon to oppose the government’s Covid restrictions

Social distancing was nowhere to be seen as the group made their way through Bournemouth town centre to take action

Social distancing was nowhere to be seen as the group made their way through Bournemouth town centre to take action

An activist holds up a sign saying 'freedom' during the anti-lockdown march in the seaside town of Bournemouth this afternoon

An activist holds up a sign saying ‘freedom’ during the anti-lockdown march in the seaside town of Bournemouth this afternoon 

An anti-lockdown protester holds up a sign saying 'The Pandemic is Over' during the rally in Bournemouth this afternoon

An anti-lockdown protester holds up a sign saying ‘The Pandemic is Over’ during the rally in Bournemouth this afternoon

In England 316 people who tested positive for coronavirus died, while in Scotland there were 37 and in Wales the death toll rose by 28. In Northern Ireland a further ten deaths were recorded. 

Meanwhile, it has been suggested quarantine times for contacts of Covid-19 cases could be halved to just a week or eliminated entirely under a pilot testing trial.

Rapid tests which can give results in just 15 minutes will be handed to emergency workers in Liverpool next week, to ensure that if one tests positive the rest of their team will not have to self-isolate.

In today’s figures, patients who died of coronavirus in England were aged between 28 and 102. All except five, aged between 64 and 96, had known underlying health conditions and the deaths occured between June 3 and November 20.

Twenty-two other deaths were reported with no positive Covid-19 test result. It means the total number of confirmed deaths reported in hospitals to 38,112, according to NHS England.  

The total number of deaths was the highest Saturday increase since May 2 when 469 deaths were reported.

Last Saturday, November 14, the death toll increased by 370. It means today’s figure is a rise of 5.7 per cent on last week. On the previous Saturday, November 7, there were 366 fatalities recorded.

It comes as rapid tests will be given to contacts of people infected with the virus who have been stuck at home for more than seven days, with those who get a negative result released from quarantine.

If the mass testing pilot proves successful, it could be rolled out across the whole of the UK. But this isn’t expected to get the green light until next year at the earliest.

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk