Police officers taking part in Wednesday's massive protest march over pay have been instructed not to react to taunts from anarchist groups which plan to hijack the demonstration. The Police Federation expects 15,000 off-duty officers to descend on London in protest over Home Secretary Jacqui Smith's failure to award a 2.5% pay rise in full. The federation, which represents 140,000 rank-and-file officers in England and Wales, issued guidance to marchers which said: "It is... possible that small groups with any grievance against the police may seek to stage counter-demonstrations. "We would ask that you do not react to any taunts, do not get involved and allow our Metropolitan colleagues to police as they see appropriate. "We do not want other people's protests to become the story of the day." A website for anarchist group Class War urged its followers to "give the police a record booing". In case direct disruption tactics failed, Class War added that anarchists could "blockade doughnut shops to prevent the greedy pigs snacking on their march". The group also referred to the 1973 film Wicker Man, which ends with a policeman being burned alive in a pagan ceremony. Police officers of all ranks from across the UK are expected to attend the march, in protest over Ms Smith's decision to stage a pay award of 2.5%, effectively reducing it to 1.9%. After the march, thousands of officers will take part in a "mass queue" outside the Houses of Parliament to lobby their MPs. |