A NSW police officer was today photographed openly wearing a ‘Thin Blue Line’ insignia outside the Sydney Cricket Ground as the First Test Match between India and Australia was about to begin, and as riots on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. rocked the world.
The Thin Blue Line symbol has its origins in the USA and has been co-opted by Trump supporters and far-right extremists both in the USA and Australia. It has been debated as to whether the Thin Blue Line represents a white supremacist ideology, or just a symbol of support for police.
In Queensland, a police officer was also photographed wearing a US version of the Thin Blue Line on his uniform during a Black Lives Matter protest in September last year, while there have been allegations that a police officer in Sydney flashed a far-right gesture at another protest in June. In Victoria, there have also been instances of police displaying far-right imagery and symbols, amongst concerns the force has a far-right problem within its ranks.
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