Met bites back at ‘woke AND fascist’ criticism

THE head of the nation’s biggest police force hit back at Rishi Sunak yesterday over ‘inaccurate’ claims that officers are failing to enforce the law in pro-Palestinian protests.

Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley warned that his staff’s ‘confidence and willingness to act’ is being knocked by criticism that they are ‘woke and fascist’ in their response to the marches, which have cost taxpayers £30 million.

The Scotland Yard chief suggested that policing had become ‘an anvil for these issues to be beaten out on’.

Last week the Prime Minister delivered an attack on extremists after summoning force leaders to Downing Street to discuss their handling of the protests.

Mr Sunak said: ‘I have met with senior police officers and made clear it is the public’s expectation that they will not merely manage these protests, but police them. And I say this to the police, we will back you when you take action.’

When asked about the comments, Sir Mark told the London Policing Board: ‘We are obviously operating in a very challenging political environment where tensions remain high and hate crime is still a long way above pre-October 7 levels and public debate is clearly highly polarised.

‘At the moment one side of the debate seems to say that we are guilty of two-tier policing and the other side says we are oppressive and clamping down on the right to freedom of speech.’

Quoting previous Met commissioner Sir Robert Mark, who suggested police were criticised as society’s tensions play out, Sir Mark added ‘sometimes we are a bit of an anvil for these issues to be beaten out on’.