Reporter Blasts Suella Braverman Over ‘Police Bias’ Claims
By Chris Hobbs
Police Oracle correspondent Chris Hobbs has taken aim at Home Secretary Suella Braverman’s controversial claims of police bias. Drawing on years of frontline experience at protests across London, Hobbs says her narrative doesn’t hold up.
From Trafalgar Square to Downing Street: Far-Right Violence on the Rise
Hobbs witnessed firsthand a Tommy Robinson-led rally at Trafalgar Square. Supporters brandished the Cross of St. George and Union flags during what started as a peaceful gathering. But near Downing Street, chaos erupted as protesters turned violent, attacking police officers. It was Hobbs’ first real encounter with the “new” far-right — far more dangerous than old English Defence League (EDL) rallies he’d only seen on TV.
Far-Right Revival Spurs Police Challenges
The far-right had faded in recent years, but current issues like asylum seeker policies and statue protections have sparked renewed vigour. A massive planned march on November 11 threatens to unleash further unrest.
Despite this, Hobbs slams Braverman’s half-hearted critique of the far-right in a recent Times article. He knocks her claim that police are “too harsh” on football fans yet “too soft” on Palestinian protesters. “From my experience,” Hobbs notes, “police face brutal attacks from EDL and Democratic Football Lads Alliance (DFLA) members, often standing as the only barrier between violent rival groups.”
Covid Protests and Black Lives Matter: Police Face Violence, Not Softness
During the pandemic, police had to enforce complex new rules while regularly being spat at or coughed on. Hobbs says Braverman’s argument that police cracked down unfairly on anti-lockdown protests is “distorted social media nonsense.” Far-right extremists often led these violent protests.
Regarding Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests, Hobbs counters claims of police “softness.” He points out that only a handful of officers “taking the knee” don’t tell the full story, especially as officers endured serious assaults during protests in Whitehall.
Why Banning Protests Could Spark Chaos
Hobbs warns that although some pro-Palestinian protests are controversial, they haven’t crossed the line into outright violence. Banning these rallies — and any far-right counter-protests — risks pushing disorder onto the streets in more dangerous, uncontrolled ways.
The police community shares Hobbs’ grave concerns about the Home Secretary’s rhetoric. They feel betrayed and fear her approach could undermine officer safety and stir fresh unrest.
