Officers have issued a warning over violent behaviour at protests, with recent demonstrations linked to sex offenders, or people perceived to be sex offenders, being housed in their communities. “Recent protests have focused on registered sex offenders and people perceived to be sex offenders. Campaigning and peaceful protests are legitimate in a democratic society. We are not opposed to peaceful protest; we are committed to preventing crime. He also warned against “outing” sex offenders online or physically confronting them, as it compromises the police’s ability to do their job, takes up resources and affects response times to serious incidents.