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.<br /><br />Hundreds of protesters marched through Newcastle city centre on Saturday because of what they described as a lack of government action on illegal immigration.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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. <br /><br />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. <br /><br />The girl can be seen clutching her flag tightly as he yanked it from her before walking off, whilst the policewoman held her back.<br /><br />Boos and cries of anger erupted from the crowd as the person filming asked: 'Why did you do that?'<br /><br />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. <br />
