Tommy Robinson march: Footage shows demonstrator being headbutted by police horse
Man seen pointing and shouting at authorities before colliding with animal
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Your support makes all the difference.A demonstrator at a rally in support of jailed EDL founder Tommy Robinson was headbutted by a police horse as he appeared to heckle officials attempting to control the disorder.
The man, who has not been named, was one of roughly 2,000 protestors at the Free Tommy rally in Whitehall, which saw 12 people arrested amid minor clashes with the authorities.
Footage of the event appeared to show the man pointing and shouting at police as he was ushered backwards by authorities.
But just seconds later, the man is seen colliding with the police horse as it swung its head towards the man.
The man is then seen ducking to avoid further contact with the animal and moving to safety out of shot.
Robinson was arrested in May and jailed for 13 months for contempt of court after filming people involved in a Leeds trial and broadcasting the footage on social media while court proceedings were active.
Thousands of people demonstrated in support of his freedom on Saturday, despite Robinson accepting his culpability.
Footage of another man at the rally kicking a police horse has provoked widespread condemnation and calls for the RSPCA to investigate.
The demonstrator was seen emerging from crowds on Trafalgar Square to kick the horse in its back legs.
A number of arrests were made throughout the day for a range of public order offences.
In one incident, a union leader is said to have been attacked at a nearby pub. Steve Hedley, senior assistant general secretary of the RMT, had spoken at a separate counter-protest in Jubilee Gardens and said he was later the victim of an “unprovoked” assault in the Westminster Arms.
A Twitter post showed him covered in blood, though the identity or affiliation of his assailants was not clear.