Protesters released on bail after anti-lockdown stand-off with police on roof of Shrewsbury College
Two men have been released on bail after staging a protest on the roof of Shrewsbury College against the coronavirus lockdown.
The protesters, who were arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage, posed on the roof of one of the college's London Road buildings for more than five hours yesterday with a banner that said "No more lockdown".
West Mercia Police was called to the scene at about 1.10pm and placed a cordon around the college before closing a section of the road to allow officers to deal with the incident safely.
One of the men was wearing white overalls and a gas mask, while the banner also had a logo very similar to that of independent girls school, Shrewsbury High.
Shrewsbury High School was quick to disassociate itself from the protesters, stating they had used a "very old banner" belonging to the school to convey their message.
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A spokesperson from the school said the incident "in no way reflects the view of Shrewsbury High School".
They said: “We are aware of an incident in Shrewsbury where an old high school banner was used by two men to protest against the current coronavirus lockdown.
"As a school, we are following government guidelines regarding the closing of schools during this period, and our students are enjoying a carefully thought-out and enriching programme of guided home learning.
"Whilst we are looking forward to the school reopening, we will only do so when the government confirms that it is safe to do so. This protest in no way reflects the views of Shrewsbury High School."
It comes after numerous posts in a Shropshire Facebook group calling on people to rebel against the regulations, which mean you are only allowed to leave your home to buy essentials, exercise once a day or commute when not able to work from home.
The private Shropshire Corona Resilience Network group has more than 500 members and claims to be "dispelling fear with facts" while sharing numerous unsubstantiated conspiracy theories.
