A member of Labour's National Executive Committee has condemned police action as "completely unprovoked" after he clashed with an officer during a night of fighting between Asian and white gangs in Burnley in Britain.
The BBC said 33-year-old Mr Shahid Malik will sue police after he was arrested and allegedly struck by a riot shield during rioting in the industrial town.
Mr Malik, a member of the Commission for Racial Equality, said he fell unconscious and required stitches to his face after the assault.
"It was a completely unprovoked assault by police officers," Mr Malik said.
Pictures of Malik's blood-stained face attested to a clash and police said they would investigate the matter.
"I was actually trying to calm down a situation which potentially was going to get out of hand...then from nowhere we get this kind of situation where a very nervous, ill-equipped group of officers attacked a complete innocent, somebody who was calming the situation," he said.