In London, a car rammed the fence of Downing Street, where they are located the home and residence of the British Prime Minister. The event generated a rapid police response in one of the most sheltered places in the city.
Fortunately, no one was injured and the police He ruled out that it was a terrorist act.
The authorities reported that a man was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and reckless driving, while the investigation is being carried out by the local police, and not by the anti-terrorist unit.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was in his office at the time of the crash, which evoked memories of previous attacks in London’s government district.
Although it is not yet clear if the crash was intentional, the police are investigating the fact. Videos broadcast on social networks show a silver car driving at low speed on Whitehall Street, the main road artery of the government area.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as chaotic, with numerous armed police officers and emergency vehicles rushing in to evacuate the area.
The BBC published the image of a handcuffed man being led away by the police. Subsequently, videos were released showing the car crashed into the fence, with the trunk open.
The police officers carried out a thorough search of the vehicle, collecting objects from the trunk and from the interior, which were placed in evidence bags. Two hours after the crash, a tow truck arrived to remove the car.
Although a security perimeter was established around the site, the barriers were raised in less than two hours. downing streetnormally frequented by civil servants and tourists who want to see the Parliament and other historical buildings, has reopened to the public.
The Metropolitan Police issued a statement saying: “We have kept a small area cordoned off outside Downing Street after a car crashed into the fence this afternoon. The incident is currently being investigated by local officers in Westminster and is not considered to be related. with terrorism”.
Downing Street, which houses the official residence of the British Prime Minister at number 10, it’s a narrow lane lined with Georgian-style houses. Since 1989, it has had a fence and armed police protection at all times, in response to threats from the Irish Republican Army. In 1991, the IRA fired three mortar shells into the street, resulting in minor injuries to three policemen and a civil servant.
This zone it was also the scene of an attack in 2017, when an extremist inspired by the Islamic State group caused the deaths of four people by ramming them with a vehicle on Westminster Bridge. Later, he stabbed a policeman near Parliament. It is common for places of power around the world to be the subject of protests and sometimes violent attacks.
With information from AP
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