Q&A: Were police too soft on masked mobs in Dover & Portsmouth?

Why did a few hundred masked men appear to be treated more leniently than protesters from groups such as Palestine Action and Just Stop Oil? Were the police scared of the mobs in Dover & Portsmouth? Or was their 'light touch' approach justifiable given the lack of notice for law enforcement? Andy & Neil debate whether this was a case of 'two-tier' policing.

They also explain why arrests at public order events often come later rather than on the day, and what officers can and can't do when protesters cover their faces. Is there already a power that could be used to stop it, or does the law need to change? They also look at whether the intelligence services will be assessing the threat from groups run by far-right agitators such as Tommy Robinson and Danny Tommo; where is the line between public disorder and a national security concern?

Plus Andy & Neil give their reactions to yet another heist in France after millions of pounds of Renoir paintings were stolen from a gallery. Why does this keep happening?

Have a question for a future Q&A? Send it via email to thecrimeagents@global.com or follow us on social media: @thecrimeagents

The Crime Agents is a Global production, available every Monday and Thursday on Global Player, YouTube or wherever you get your shows. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode.

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Episoder(120)

Tommy Robinson’s donations: Where does the money go?

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24 Sep 29min

Special report: Inside London's gang war

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22 Sep 51min

Q&A: would the Suffragettes be labelled 'terrorists' under today's laws?

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17 Sep 24min

Cracking an 'unsolvable' double murder

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14 Sep 49min

Hillsborough: the cover-up that shamed British policing

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7 Sep 58min

Q&A: Digital ID mission creep, scrapping the 43 forces & are the CPS friend or foe?

When MPs talk about the death threats they face online, are they making a genuine plea for protection or building the case for something bigger? Andy and Neil take on the question of whether the abuse...

3 Sep 23min