A police officer has been accused of 'two-tier' policing after snatching a Union Jack flag from a teenage girl's hands at an anti-migrant demonstration where Palestine flags were allowed to fly.
Hundreds of protesters marched through Newcastle city centre on Saturday because of what they described as a lack of government action on illegal immigration.
Heavy police presence and a crowd of counter-protesters from Stand Up to Racism saw tensions rise, with three arrests made over breach of the peace.
Now, Northumbria Police are facing criticism over footage of their liaison officers swiping a Union Jack flag from the hands of a 16-year-old girl.
Footage shows the teenager standing on a table proudly waving the flag in front of a group of counter-protestors, as a female officer tried to speak to her before a male colleague intervened by swooping in and grabbing the flag.
The girl can be seen clutching her flag tightly as he yanked it from her before walking off, whilst the policewoman held her back.
Boos and cries of anger erupted from the crowd as the person filming asked: 'Why did you do that?'
The incident comes amid Operation Raise the Colours, a movement that has seen communities across the country hanging Union and St George's flags in their streets, including in Bradford, Newcastle, Norwich, and the Isle of Wight, as a display of national pride.
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