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22 April 2011
Last updated at 06:13 ET
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Eyewitnesses said some people had rampaged along a nearby road smashing windows
Nine people have been arrested and eight police officers hurt after violent clashes in Bristol.
Scuffles broke out when police forced their way into a property being used by squatters in the Stokes Croft area.
Eyewitnesses said police fought running battles with hundreds of protesters, who dug up cobbles from the road to throw at them.
Police carried out the raid because they feared a nearby Tesco store was to be attacked with petrol bombs.
However, the raid led to trouble in nearby streets with bins and skips being set alight.
Assistant Chief Constable Rod Hansen said: "This was not an eviction but positive action to protect the store.
"When 300 people congregated and a small minority from that group started small fires and throwing bottles, stones and other items at officers, we used well-rehearsed plans, which involved the use of officers from neighbouring forces to control what had become a volatile situation."
More than 160 officers were involved in the operation including 66 from neighbouring forces.
The nearby Tesco Express store in Cheltenham Road, which had been the subject of protests before its opening, was petrol bombed.
'Swift arrest operation' In a statement, the force said its "robust operation was fully justified" after police carried out an operation in Cheltenham Road to arrest four people who represented "a very real threat to the local community".
It added: "The safety of the public is paramount in any situation of this kind and we took the decision to carry out a swift arrest operation, following intelligence received about the criminal intentions of those who were occupying the building.
"The fact that we seized petrol bombs illustrates the seriousness of this situation and the reason why we took this positive action."
BBC reporter Nigel Dando said about a quarter-of-a-mile of Stokes Croft and Cheltenham Road was littered with the debris of what happened on Thursday night and into Friday morning.
"There are overturned rubbish bins and skips which have been set on fire.
"There's bricks rocks and glass in the road which would have all been used as missiles against the police last night.
"About five police vehicles guarding the outside of the Tesco Express store this morning.
"it was certainly a major incident in the city last night."
No-one from Tesco was available to comment.
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Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.Eyewitnesses said some people had rampaged along a nearby road smashing windows
Nine people have been arrested and eight police officers hurt after violent clashes in Bristol.
Scuffles broke out when police forced their way into a property being used by squatters in the Stokes Croft area.
Eyewitnesses said police fought running battles with hundreds of protesters, who dug up cobbles from the road to throw at them.
Police carried out the raid because they feared a nearby Tesco store was to be attacked with petrol bombs.
However, the raid led to trouble in nearby streets with bins and skips being set alight.
Assistant Chief Constable Rod Hansen said: "This was not an eviction but positive action to protect the store.
"When 300 people congregated and a small minority from that group started small fires and throwing bottles, stones and other items at officers, we used well-rehearsed plans, which involved the use of officers from neighbouring forces to control what had become a volatile situation."
More than 160 officers were involved in the operation including 66 from neighbouring forces.
The nearby Tesco Express store in Cheltenham Road, which had been the subject of protests before its opening, was petrol bombed.
'Swift arrest operation' In a statement, the force said its "robust operation was fully justified" after police carried out an operation in Cheltenham Road to arrest four people who represented "a very real threat to the local community".
It added: "The safety of the public is paramount in any situation of this kind and we took the decision to carry out a swift arrest operation, following intelligence received about the criminal intentions of those who were occupying the building.
"The fact that we seized petrol bombs illustrates the seriousness of this situation and the reason why we took this positive action."
BBC reporter Nigel Dando said about a quarter-of-a-mile of Stokes Croft and Cheltenham Road was littered with the debris of what happened on Thursday night and into Friday morning.
"There are overturned rubbish bins and skips which have been set on fire.
"There's bricks rocks and glass in the road which would have all been used as missiles against the police last night.
"About five police vehicles guarding the outside of the Tesco Express store this morning.
"it was certainly a major incident in the city last night."
No-one from Tesco was available to comment.
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