Met Police Chief Criticized Over Mic Incident

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley faced criticism after grabbing and dropping a journalist's microphone when asked about 'two-tier policing' following a Cobra meeting on recent far-right riots. Rowley dismissed the incident as 'trivial' and explained he was in a hurry. The term 'two-tier policing' refers to accusations that police respond more harshly to right-wing protests compared to others, which Rowley and Prime Minister Keir Starmer have denied. Equality campaigners argue that claims of lenient policing towards communities of color are false and amount to 'racist gaslighting.' The government is under pressure to address the ongoing violent unrest, with Starmer pledging a 'standing army' of specialist officers to tackle the riots.