I don't live in the Met Police area and in my suburban, white middle class life, the police are people you go to for help in often distressing times. I understand that's not everyone's experience.
I was at a football match in London last night. There was a crowd of maybe 10000, so a lot of people, but small for a professional football match.
I have never seen so many police and I've been to football all over the country. There were 100s of them, plus horses, all looking really quite aggressive in their "battle gear". Usually at games of this size you get a handful of "bobbies" smiling and bantering with fans and that's it.
There was no trouble at all, that I witnessed at the game, and the crowds outside the ground seemed relaxed and good natured.
At one point my friend and I stood on a street corner, literally a yard away from a group of these officers, clearly a bit confused about which direction we needed to get back to the station. They must have heard and seen that we needed help. No one budged or spoke.
Of course we could have just asked, but wouldn't you expect a public servant on duty to offer help where it was so obviously needed and easy to give?
And why such a huge and aggressive presence? The police were far more intimidating than the fans on either side.
It made me very glad I'm not a London council tax payer TBH. The cost must have been enormous.