I think it was feck all to do with policing and the simple fact they’ll find any excuse for a scrap. I think you’re overestimating their motivations personally.
Perhaps I over-emphasised it as a sole reason. However, there was an impression across social media that the police were too willing to excuse the inexcusable. Such as when, after chants of ‘jihad’ were heard, they said it just means spiritual struggle. I think anyone who thinks that in that context it meant anything but a call to rise up with violent intent is naive. It was this sort of thing that riled the football lads alliance types.
As for criticising the police from my armchair, I will do so just as I did with the Sarah Everard vigil and all of us do with politicians and others, from the comfort of home.
