Avon and Somerset police have retracted widely reported claims that officers suffered broken bones and a punctured lung during attempts to disperse a protest on Sunday night. However, the force has since updated the number of injuries suffered by police officers to 40. Kevin Blowe, the coordinator of Netpol, which campaigns around the policing of protest, said exaggerated claims of injuries by police were not without precedent. But the media narrative that came out was very much focused on the fact that these officers got broken bones, had punctured lungs, were very seriously injured. “We are aware that some people may be intending to protest in Bristol and Bath this weekend, 26 to 28 March.

Source: The Guardian March 25, 2021 16:01 UTC