A policewoman filmed in uniform chanting “free Palestine” with protesters over the weekend is under investigation by the Metropolitan Police’s professional standards unit. The footage was posted on Twitter prompted several users to question whether she should have been expressing political views while on duty.
The officer was holding a white rose and hugging a woman demonstrator, telling her: “I’ve got you and I’m here”, before turning to the crowd, raising her hand and shouting: “Free free Palestine.”
A spokesman said the force’s internal Directorate of Professional Standards was investigating the incident. He said: “While officers are encouraged to positively engage with those attending demonstrations, they know they are not to actively participate or adopt political positions.”
A post on the Twitter account @MPSEvents in response to the footage of the female officer said: “We police hundreds of public events and protests in London every year and officers must remain impartial in carrying out their duties.”
Dame Cressida Dick, the Met commissioner, said that officers policing protests should not take the knee for safety reasons. Some officers at Black Lives Matter demonstrations had done so in solidarity with their anti-racist message.
