Ah, the August bank holiday weekend. A promising weather forecast. Off work until next Tuesday. The perfect opportunity to sit back, put your feet up, enjoy a barbecue and take a well-earned rest. Unless you’re a police officer – and especially this particular weekend.
First up are the anticipated protests – and counterprotests – outside hotels housing asylum seekers from Bournemouth to Perth, Cardiff to Leeds. Some two dozen or so anti-immigration protests have been organised for the coming days. And, once again, it is police officers who will find themselves standing in the places in between, accused by one faction of protecting lawless foreigners and by the other of defending hate-filled racists. Refusing to take either side, and damned by both.
