Police chief wants to arrest flag-burners
The burning of flags is currently legal in both Britain and the US
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Sunday, 29, Oct 2006 07:59
Britain's most senior Muslim policeman says that protestors who burn flags should be liable for prosecution under a new offence.
Metropolitan police assistant commissioner Tarique Ghaffur also believes that the UK should also crack down on extremist demonstrators by outlawing protestors from hiding their faces.
He claims that the police should be given a new range of powers as they are currently seen as being to lenient, although he emphasised that Muslim women who choose to wear the veil would not be affected.
"There appears to be a growing public perception that policing of demonstrations is unduly lenient. That view was shared by law-abiding citizens of all backgrounds," Mr Ghaffur told BBC Radio Five Live, alluding to the fact that his proposals would likely be supported by the majority of British Muslims.
He went on to say: "The reason this is a great country is the tolerance of people. If they start to see images of people who seem to be getting away with it, that starts to erode."
Mr Ghaffur's remarks come as the attorney general Lord Goldsmith prepares to recommend how police should deal with extremists in the future.
Labour MP Shahid Malik, whose Dewsbury constituency was home to one of the July 7th bombers, welcomed the police chief's suggestions, commenting: "The burning of flags at demonstrations or pickets is quite clearly an act which has the power to incite violence.
"It is intimidating and often allows a few thugs to hijack an otherwise legitimate and peaceful protest."
But the director of human rights group Liberty said that the proposals were "unnecessary".
"It looks like some people have been watching too many American movies. We will have to look at the detail of these proposals but the police already have wide powers, especially for dealing with people wearing masks," said Shami Chakrabarti.