Protesters clash with police in London over death of black man

Angry protesters have clashed with British police over the death of an African-American man in police custody.

The clashes took place near a police station in East London on Monday. Several demonstrators were arrested in the wake of the violence.

“A small number of roadway fires – involving the contents of litter bins – were started. These were dealt with by the London Fire Brigade. We are not aware of any damage to local buildings,” the Metropolitan Police said in a statement, according to The Guardian. 

The protesters blamed the police for the death of 25-year-old Edir Frederico Da Costa. The victim was arrested at a traffic stop in mid-June and died six days later.

Da Costa’s family says he suffered extensive injuries during the arrest.

A police commission has rejected the narrative but acknowledged that the officers used force and CS gas spray to apprehend Da Costa.

“Mr. Da Costa was detained by police officers. During this interaction, it is believed police officers used force and deployed CS spray,” a spokesman for the the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said in a statement after the launch of the investigation. 

“Mr. Da Costa became unwell, first aid was administered, an ambulance was called and he was taken to hospital. Tragically on Wednesday, 21 June, Mr. Da Costa died,” the statement added.