Man denied bail after “trying to set fire to police van” at Kill the Bill protest

A man has been remanded in custody after being accused of attempting to set a police van on fire during the first Kill the Bill protest in Bristol last month. Several police vehicles were set alight as protests turned violent on March 21, with some of the protestors later attracting criticism from Home Secretary Priti Patel. 25-year-old Ryan Roberts has appeared at Bristol Magistrates’ Court charged with attempted arson with intent to endanger life "by placing a lit item under the vehicle to endanger the life of a police officer". Roberts is also accused of violent disorder and two counts of assaulting a police officer. John Haythorn, his legal representative, applied for bail only for it to be refused. District Judge Lynne Matthews explained that the charge of arson could only be dealt with at the crown court, ordering Roberts to appear before Bristol Crown Court on May 5. Following protests on March 21, three more demonstrations have taken place in Bristol about the Government's proposed Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill. Whereas the most recent of those, held on March 30, ended peacefully, those on March 23 and 26 also ended with clashes between protestors and police.