Attacks on alternative sub-cultures a hate crime in Manchester

[Guy]

If the nature of the crime has been more thoroughly recorded then that is a positive step. I just hope that Greater Manchester Police will refrain from scoring endless media points over their initiative. Otherwise this could backfire. By that I mean that certain prejudices and attitudes could progress from:

"Who the **** do you think you are dressed like that?"

to

"Who the **** do you think you are dressed like that and why do you get preferential treatment from the police?"

The kind of backward morons who'd hit someone for no reason other than their makeup are very likely to have even more issues with the police. My concern is that more people could get attacked by individuals wanting to stick two fingers up to what they perceive as authority. The police can only react to random attacks. There is very little they can do to stop them to begin with.

[Toronto Popular Front]

while i think it is great that the two were arrested, surely it is just assault from the police point of view; unless as someone said to me, that the police can push for a harsher punishment, but i think that would lead into what Guy described above