Pink Floyd kin Charlie Gilmour apologized for unintentionally climbing on a war memorial in a protest, but it wasn't enough to keep him from getting arrested.
The Guardian reported that the 21-year-old son of the band's guitarist, David Gilmour, was taken in by cops Sunday morning for violent disorder and damaging the Union flag on a London monument, the Cenotaph, following a raucous demonstration against rising tuition student fees in London on Thursday.
"He was arrested by officers from Operation Malone on suspicion of violent disorder, and attempted criminal damage of the Union flag on the Cenotaph on 9 December," a police spokesman told the Guardian. "He was taken to a Sussex police station where he has been further arrested on suspicion of theft."
Gilmour apologized for climbing on the revered war memorial just a day after the protest, adding he did not know what he was climbing on. "I feel nothing but shame," he had told the AP. "My intention was not to attack or defile the Cenotaph. Running along with a crowd of people who had just been violently repelled by the police, I got caught up in the spirit of the moment."
Gilmour was just one of many protesters bobbies are tracking down. According to the Guardian, Gilmour is the 35th to be arrested and about 176 have been rounded up so far. Thousands are estimated to have participated in the four protests.
"The rights of protest and expression are important to us all" Detective Chief Superintendent Matthew Horne told reporters, the NY Daily News reported. "However, people breaking the law, endangering those protesting peacefully and committing offences such as this are criminals."
A car carrying Prince Charles and his wife was also swarmed by protesters.
Selected Reading: Guardian, NY Daily News
