1. Had a call from @leicspolice yesterday re the riot shield. Where to start? So, our complaint was recorded as a Non Crime Hate Incident (NCHI) on the basis that I perceived the shield as hateful. So far so good. 
2. However, the NCHI was not recorded against an officer’s name… which is in contrast to the standard practice of labelling a person as ‘suspect’ & ruining their job prospects for the next 6 years. Convenient.
3. The reason for this is as follows: the police judge their own actions to be pure and hate free. Political colours on a riot shield are an act of solidarity and support - not an act of antagonism and hostility. So they are free to continue with the deployment.
4. What about the requirement to prevent escalation, which is the entire purpose of recording NCHIs in the first place? Ah, well that doesn’t count in this case because they are the police and escalation would just be yet more love for the Pride community. Who can object to love?
4. Oh… And a political riot shield is not a tactical defensive weapon when carried by the police. However, should I carry a riot shield through the streets of Leicester with a political slogan on it… Then it becomes a weapon.
5. The difference is, they know my motivation would be hateful as I was argumentative on the phone. My attitude transforms the riot shield into a weapon and they cannot allow haters with political weaponry to roam the streets of Leicester.
6. This week, I bought some second hand riot shields. Watch this space. @threadreaderapp unroll.
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