Growing ‘culture of extremism’ among UK and European police forces, report warns

Officers are sharing racist content online, with some wearing the thin blue line' avatar, associated with white nationalism among US police

Police forces in the UK and across Europe are suffering from a growing culture of extremism", according to a report that warns of an increase in officers sharing racist and far-right content online. The report, by the Institute of Race Relations (IRR), says UK policing has a growing extremist problem, and highlights issues across Europe. In France, 81% of gendarmes declared they would vote for far-right politician Marine Le Pen.

In France, Belgium, Germany and Hungary former high-ranking police officers have become extreme-right mayoral and parliamentary candidates.