I REFER to the issue that was raised on this page with regard to the violence of the recent anti-racism protest in London (''Facing up to reality'', South China Morning Post, October 21).

The violence did not surprise me. The police were placed, literally and symbolically, in the front line position of defending the British National Party bookshop in London's East End, the focal point of racist attacks in Britain. The UK police track record on racial harmony is not admirable. For example, the embarrassing lack of new recruits to the force from ethnic minorities; the harassment faced by young black and Asian officers within the force; the ''suspicious'' deaths of young blacks and Asians in police custody. Not all racists wear Doc Martins, but it seems to help.

The police, in attempting to direct a confrontation where the BNP would be vastly overwhelmed, created an inevitable confrontation of their own. London is as important a place as any other European city for racism to be confronted on the streets and I, for one, would find some solace in the destruction of the BNP's bookshop in the East End.