Scotland Yard apologises to Sikhs

Scotland Yard has apologised for the "unacceptable" actions of some of its officers during a Sikh protest outside the Indian High Commission in London last week. Twenty arrests had been made after hundreds of Sikh protesters clashed with the Metropolitan Police on October 22 during a demonstration against the alleged police brutality on community members in Punjab. One police officer was taken to hospital with a head injury. However, there were some reports of the peaceful demonstration turning violent after Met Police officers became heavy-handed with some of the protesters. "I would like to reassure the Sikh community that no disrespect or offence was intended and apologise for any distress, hurt or offence that has been caused," Commander Mak Chishty, the Met's head of community engagement. "I requested a meeting with the Sikh community as I had become aware of growing concerns over the policing of the protest at the Indian High Commission on Thursday October 22. "An incident occurred where a Met Police officer is seen to take a Nishan Sahib, a sacred flag, from a protester, snap the stick and throw it to the floor. This is deeply disrespectful to the Sikh community and is not acceptable," he said. It also emerged that police had removed kirpans, a ceremonial knife carried by Sikhs, from two protesters following their arrests against the orders of a senior officer. "I understand the distress and hurt that has been caused and I sincerely apologise to our Sikh community for this. I am also aware that kirpans were removed from two people once they had been arrested.