London’s Metropolitan Police admit the force made several mistakes in handling various pro-Palestinian protests after Hamas attacked Israel last October, failing to arrest those publicly calling for jihad, among other provocations. Matt Twist, responsible for public order policing in the Met, told the Policy Exchange think tank that police were reluctant to make arrests—but denied that the force engages in two-tier policing.
“[T]here is no such thing as two-tier or differential policing – there are, in fact, an infinite number of tiers of policing, depending on the threat, harm, and risk,” he claimed.
A Policy Exchange report found that over two-thirds of British adults believed pro-Palestinian protests turn city centers into no-go zones, and they would abandon plans to visit during the demonstrations.
British police have been accused of engaging in two-tier policing during the anti-mass migration protests in late July and early August, sparked by the murder of three young girls in Southport, allegedly by a migration-background teenager. Several protestors have received years in prison for as little as shouting at police. Others have been arrested for posting “misinformation” on social media. Some of those detained or sentenced are as young as 12.
However, despite a strong riot police response to anti-immigration demonstrators, Muslim counter-demonstrators were allowed to run amok, attacking white people and local pubs. Local police claimed the lack of police intervention was due to a decision to let the Muslim community police themselves.
