Metropolitan police officers are openly defying orders not to wear badges appropriated by the far right and linked to white supremacy.
In July, the force’s chief, Mark Rowley, banned officers from wearing the “thin blue line” badge saying that in the US an equivalent symbol had been used by “hard-right groups”.
However, images have emerged of Met officers wearing the symbol late last month as they policed a stand-off between LGBTQ+ rights supporters and a rightwing group over a drag act’s performance at the Honor Oak pub in Lewisham, south London.
They responded by saying the badges, that say ‘Metropolitan Police’, were there on the uniform when it was issued.
My answer to that would be “okay, then you’re only on a watchlist for now, and I’ll also be enrolling you in a mandatory training course to recognize symbols of domestic terrorism. Present yourself for inspection first thing tomorrow. If that badge is still there, you’re fired.”
Of course, this all takes place in a fantasy world where police can actually be fired for supporting fascism and white supremacy.
I think you missed the joke from the previous poster. They are alluding that the ‘offensive badge’ is the badge of the metropolitan police.
Whoops, duh on me. Oh well.