Charlie Gilmour among seven charged over student protests

Son of Pink Floyd guitarist charged with violent disorder and theft of a mannequin leg

Charlie Gilmour, the son of Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour, was tonight charged with violent disorder and theft of a mannequin leg during a student fees protest.

Gilmour, 21, was one of seven people charged by the Metropolitan police as part of Operation Malone launched after a number of high-profile protests in central London.

He will appear at City of Westminster magistrates court on 10 February.

Gilmour was seen swinging from a Union flag attached to the Cenotaph during a march against fee rises last December. He later apologised for the "terrible insult", saying he had been "caught up in the spirit of the moment".

The Cambridge University student, who was among thousands who protested in Trafalgar Square and Parliament Square on 9 December, issued an apology the day after the demonstrations, describing it as a "moment of idiocy" and admitting he did not realise the monument in Whitehall commemorated Britain's war dead. He was arrested on 12 December.

His statement at the time said: "I would like to express my deepest apologies for the terrible insult to the thousands of people who died bravely for our country that my actions represented."

Gilmour, who has also been on the books of modelling agency Select Model Management, is the son of writer and journalist Polly Samson.

His biological father is the poet and playwright Heathcote Williams but he was adopted by Mr Gilmour when his mother remarried.

The 9 December protest also saw rioters attack the car carrying the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall to the Royal Variety Performance as the demonstration descended into violence.

Two others, who were arrested on the day, were also charged over the same protest. Christopher Hilliard, 22, of Wilmslow, Cheshire, and a 17-year-old man, also from Cheshire, were both charged with violent disorder and will appear at City of Wes! tminster magistrates court on 10 February.

Three men were also charged with offences during the protest on 24 November. James Cross, 26, of Lewisham, south-east London, and Kevin Wilson-Web, 50, from Kensington, west London, were charged with theft of police equipment. Justin Sey, 28, from Barnet, north London, is charged with criminal damage to a government building. James Jeffal, 19, from Willesden Lane, north London, is charged with causing fear of unlawful violence during the protests on 30 November.

They will all appear at City of Westminster agistrates court on 10 February.

Five others were cautioned for a range of offences including theft, assaulting a police officer and criminal damage.


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