I don't think there's necessarily a tension between liking the police and sympathising with the demonstrators. Like lots and lots of my colleagues I (a policeman) am also disgusted with the immorality of the arms trade in general, and the double standards of this 'fair' in particular. The government wouldn't apply the same logic to the drugs trade as it does to arms sales - despite the fact that there are many parallels. I've been on many demonstrations (as a demonstrator, before joining the police), and have seen a fair bit of police brutality. 99.9% of the people I work with are as disgusted with that kind of thing as I am. Now that I'm in the police I see my role at a demonstration as allowing it to take place in as safe a way as possible - making sure that demonstrators can make their democratic voices heard. OK - this is an ideal, but I believe it is one to which the vast majority of my colleagues would subscribe.