Police officers have been warned to “think very carefully” before taking the knee at Black Lives Matters protests, in a new report by the independent police watchdog.
The Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary report was commissioned by the Home Secretary in September after a year high-profile protests by groups from BLM to climate change campaigners.
As thousands took the streets last summer in wake of George Floyd’s death in the US, some Met officers were seen taking the knee alongside protesters. Others had previously joined in skateboarding and dancing with Extinction Rebellion activists as the group caused widespread disruption across the capital.
The report found that the job of policing large-scale protests was difficult, with officers often feeling pressured into taking the knee demonstrators, especially if a colleague made the gesture.
It suggests national guidance that officers should make the decision on whether to kneel based on individual circumstances and security considerations.
“Most forces followed this guidance, but others issued instructions that taking the knee at protests would not be appropriate,” the report said.
“We heard of officers making different decisions even within the same protest…with one case in which some officers chose to take the knee at a protest while another chose not to.
“This officer was then subjected to sustained abuse by the protesters until he followed suit.”
Emphasising the need for impartial policing, the inspectorate said: “On balance, we believe that police leaders should think very carefully before they take any actions which may be interpreted as showing support for, or aversion towards, any protest or its stated aims; it will rarely be appropriate.”
“All of that said, it would be unfair to criticise officers who take actions on the spur of the moment with the aim of, for instance, diffusing tension at a protest.” In recent years taking the knee has become a worldwide symbol of the fight for racial justice, after it was first popularised by American football quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
Read More
In June last year video footage emerged of Met officers joining demonstrators in the gesture at a BLM protest outside Downing Street.
As a phalanx of officers form a defensive line, one protester can be heard saying: “You and me. Take a knee with me bro.”
An officer then drops to kneel on the pavement along with the demonstrators and the crowd around begins to cheer.
The report went on to say demonstrations of support are likely to be uncontroversial at other events such as Pride parades, Holocaust Memorial Day and Stephen Lawrence Day.
But said these events should be contrasted with incidents in 2019 when police officers were filmed dancing with Extinction Rebellion protesters and using skateboards on a cordoned-off bridge.
