Priti Patel said the Government was consulting on increasing the minimum sentence for those who assault emergency workers.

Speaking amid a global uprising against racism, following the death of George Floyd, she said those who took part in ‘public disorder’ would ‘feel the full force of the law’. Clashes between police and protesters have occurred in London for the last two nights, with Black Lives Matter protesters angry at police brutality after a white officer knelt on Mr Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes.

Ms Patel claimed around 200 protests took place across the country over the weekend, suggesting that more than 137,500 people have attended Black Lives Matter protests across the UK. Continuation her condemnations of protesters, she said: ‘At least 35 officers have now been injured during the protests in the capital. I salute their bravery and wish them a swift recovery.’

She said 135 arrests had been made so far, and added: ’The thugs and criminals responsible are already being brought to justice.’

Yesterday at a largely peaceful protest, some demonstrators lobbed fireworks and traffic cones at officers.

On Saturday, when mounted police charged at protesters, one horse bolted and smashed its officer into a traffic light.

Ms Patel went on: ‘We strongly support the right to protest peacefully but that does not extend to the violent behaviour we have witnessed across the country throughout the weekend.

‘When it comes to any assault on our brave police, that is completely unacceptable. Any perpetrator should be in absolutely no doubt that they will be arrested and prosecuted.’

Yesterday the prime minister said the protests had been ‘subverted by thuggery’. It came

This afternoon the Home Secretary struck a similar tone, branding some protesters ‘a lawless minority’, after condemning those who pulled down the statue of a slave trader in Bristol.

She said: ‘Assaults on emergency workers must be handed with the appropriate severity by the entire criminal justice system in a consistent way and this government will go even further as we have committed to consult shortly on doubling the minimum sentence for those who assault an emergency worker to ensure that the sentence truly fits the crime.’

Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said some of the actions of a minority of protesters were ‘unacceptable’.

He said: ‘We cannot allow this moment of global demand for justice to pass without action and we on these benches will be at the forefront of calls for change.

‘What is never the solution, though, is violence and vandalism. The vast majority of protesters are peaceful, but some of the actions we have seen from a minority are unacceptable.

‘I condemn those who have attacked the police and I want to pay tribute to the police officers putting themselves in harm’s way over the weekend.’