A man has appeared in court accused of attacking a police officer during Friday’s protest outside the House of Assembly.

Edmund Smith is alleged to have assaulted Inspector Scott Devine.

Mr Smith, 52, of Warwick, is also accused of causing Mr Devine bodily harm and possessing a wooden walking staff.

When asked how he pleaded to the three charges, Mr Smith responded: “How would you respond when your family members are being threatened with guns and pepper spray?”

He proceeded to condemn the country’s “racist administration” and vowed to bring down “this colonial system”.

Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo entered not guilty pleas to the charges on Mr Smith’s behalf.

He then told Mr Smith that although he was granting him bail for the offences alleged to have taken place on Friday, he would be remanding him in custody for failing to attend a previous, unrelated trial.

Mr Smith will reappear in Magistrates’ Court on December 19. He will also appear two days later for trial on the earlier, unrelated charge.

The decision to remand him custody prompted Mr Smith to launch into another outburst during which he told Mr Tokunbo: “I hope you can sleep at night, I hope your children can sleep at night. This is absolute treachery.”

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