Is "two-tier policing" a conspiracy theory or an upside-down truth?
In short: The claim that police favor progressive protesters while punishing the far-right is surging. But scholars argue this narrative flips the reality of systemic inequality on its head, masking a much deeper, documented pattern of disparate treatment along lines of race, class, and gender.
The term "two-tier policing" is used to describe the perception that law enforcement applies different standards to different groups. While far-right activists and figures like Elon Musk have propagated the idea that police are overly lenient toward progressive or racial minority protesters, scholars Lilie Chouliaraki and Kathryn Claire Higgins suggest this is a strategy of "reverse victimization."
In reality, the concept may be an "upside-down truth." While the far-right claims they are being targeted more harshly, data on stop-and-search, the use of weapons like tasers, and deaths in custody suggest that police violence and scrutiny often cut along well-defined lines of race, class, and gender. The BlackLivesMatter uprisings of 2020 highlighted how police decisions regarding the use of force can be highly unequal.
The term's usage has evolved significantly. It was originally used to describe institutional racism and over-policing of black communities during the 1981 Brixton riots. More recently, it has been co-opted by far-right groups to suggest that police favor certain groups, such as Islamists, or that they are "playing favorites" regarding lockdown objectors versus BLM activists. This tension was highlighted during the 2024 UK riots, where Prime Minister Keir Starmer promised a zero-tolerance approach to "thuggery" following attacks on hotels housing asylum seekers.
In London, the debate remains highly political. During assembly discussions, allegations were made that police were more lenient toward a Black Lives Matter march in Tottenham on 10 December 2020, compared to a freedom rally in Parliament Square on 14 December 2020. Mayor Sadiq Khan has defended the Metropolitan Police's impartiality, citing changing regulations and COVID-19 protocols as the reason for varying protest management.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Metropolitan Police
- Also: The truth about “two-tier policing” | LSE British Politics
- Also: Two-tier policing
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