'Summer of discontent' race warning by ex-police chief

A former Metropolitan Police chief has warned of a “summer of discontent” following widespread condemnation of an officer who kicked an Asian man in the face at Manchester airport.

- NADINE WHITE

Ex-Met superintendent Leroy Logan reacted to footage of Tuesday’s incident, which went viral on social media, warning that this latest case of violent policing of Asian, Black and minoritised communities will spark riots as part of ongoing concerns about racist police officers.

Greater Manchester Police, which said it understood people’s “immense feeling of concern”, has since removed the officer from operational duties and has referred itself to the police watchdog for investigation.

“We could be looking at a summer of discontent where people are going to hit the streets,” Mr Logan told The Independent yesterday. “You’ve had recent issues in Leeds where people rioted and it was dealt with within a small geographical area. Things can really kick off when officers don’t treat people with respect and dignity.

“I don’t condone bad behaviour or criminality of any sense, but I cannot discount the possibility that people are going to get more frustrated and take matters into their own hands. Martin Luther King Jr said: ‘Uprisings are the language of the unheard.’ I just get a really bad sense that the police are going from bad to worse.”