This film documents police training which involved handling public order disturbances, such as National Front demonstrations. Various procedures and strategies are run through in a realistic scenario, with many volunteers playing the roles of the demonstrators, who resist the polices' attempts to control the situation. Title - West Yorkshire Metropolitan police. Title - Great Yorkshire Showground Harrogate 20th April, 1980. Title - Public order training No. 2 region. Title - Forces:...

This film documents police training which involved handling public order disturbances, such as National Front demonstrations. Various procedures and strategies are run through in a realistic scenario, with many volunteers playing the roles of the demonstrators, who resist the polices' attempts to control the situation. Title - West Yorkshire Metropolitan police. Title - Great Yorkshire Showground Harrogate 20th April, 1980. Title - Public order training No. 2 region. Title - Forces: Cleveland Constabulary, Durham Constabulary, Humberside Police, West Yorkshire Metropolitan Police, Nottinghamshire Police, Northumbria Police, North Yorkshire Police. Title - Phase 1 Procession escort. The film opens with a row of officers standing in line in a courtyard; there are also Policemen on horseback. There is then a close up of a sign that reads 'Exercise reception and control. All PSU commanders and officers i/c other units to report here'. Officers wearing red hats (clearly senior instructors refereeing the training scenario) stand around talking, before there are shots of the mock demonstrators gathered on a paved area in the showground, surrounded by policeman. The filmmaker then get close ups of some of their plaques that the demonstrators hold, which read, 'Socialist workers unite against Tories', 'Kill all nigger lovers' and 'North Yorks National Front - Maim that coon in one'. The demonstration is led by policemen on horseback down paths within the showground, and the demonstrators are enveloped by policemen on all sides. The demonstrators move down a new street lined with small chalets, and they are met head on by a group of mock protestors. The cavalry unit form a line in the middle of the road - separating the two sides - while the policemen on foot create a defensive blockade in front of the demonstrators. The cavalry units then charge at the mock protestors, who block the path, and they disperse quickly. The protestors scatter towards the demonstrators and a few attempts are made to break through the wall of officers. Several shots then capture people being restrained and hauled away from the scene, while the police officers continue to form a tight protective line around the demonstrators. Again the protestors block the demonstrators' path, and this the time the cavalry unit approaches slowly. The protestors put up some resistance, trying to force the mounted officers away, but eventually they are pushed back. The protestors then move their line back further, continuing to block the path. Again the demonstrators led by the officers' advance towards them and the policemen on horseback move in to send the protestors scurrying away. A senior officer with a red hat gives out instructions form a megaphone as officers file past, before the filmmaker captures the back off the procession from an elevated position; long rows of officers continue to press forward with police vans bringing up the rear. The protestors again meet the police on a green. The cavalry move in causing the protestors to scatter, while the filmmaker captures some minor scuffles as several policemen and protestors are knocked to the ground. Title - Repeat exercise. This sequence is very similar to the first, as the whole scenario is carried out again; however, the physicality of the second demonstration increases dramatically, and there are many shots of officers wrestling with protestors and hauling them away to police vans. This sequence also shows protestor squatting on the floor trying to block the road, and cavalry units moving in to move them on. Title - Phase 2 manoeuvres. Title - West Yorkshire police cordon relief roller shutter movement. With the protestors blocking the path again, the policemen initially move in to form a line across them, before mounted offices make a push through the middle of the protestors with the officers then driving them out of the road. Title - Roller shutter. A line of policemen stand in front of the protestors and move out the way as the mounted offices take the lead position. Title - Roller shutter. The policemen form a line behind the mounted units as they press the protestors back. Title - Filter. Similar manoeuver, this time, however, the officers split off into small groups as the mounted units move up. Title - Filter at Trot. The same manoeuvre, except the mounted officers move more rapidly to the front. Title - Wedge providing cordon relief. In a V formation, the mounted units trot towards the crowd, who move out of the way as officers form a defensive line behind the officers on horseback. Title - Relief cordon by wedge. The cavalry unit charge at the protestors in a V shape, with policemen on foot following close behind. Title - Relief at 'T' junction. The cavalry unit push the supporters back, and the following foot constables block the path on all three sides (as if it were a T junction). Title - Shields relieving foot cordon dispersed by mounted at walk. The protestors watch as riot police move forward and use their riot shields to drive the crowd back, and the protesters are dispersed by the following mounted units. Title - Repeat exercise. The same manoeuver is practised again. Title - Phase 3 - Picket situation. This scenario involves protestors blocking access to a facility. A group of mock protestors are shown gathering on a small green area outside a building. A small group of officers move in and try push back the supporters, who resist and jostle with policemen. More officers file down a road and join the struggle; several men are capture being physically removed from the crowd by policemen. Officers with riot shields then move down the road and are met by protestors who throw rocks at them. More minor scuffles break out; people are pushed to the ground as the police with riot gear try to get the situation under control. With the crowd to large in number, the mounted units back away slowly and the protestors celebrate, with one shot capturing an officer's helmet being thrown into the air. More officers march across the green to where the protestors are gathered, and again they attempt to push the protestors back. The crowd is still too strong, pushing the officers back once more, and the filmmaker captures a shot of an officers being carried away from the scene by two men. Again the officers grow in numbers and make another attempt to push the protestors back, and both groups heave against each other. More shots show the process being repeated several times and the filmmaker gets close to the scene to show the two groups clashing. The officers now appear to outnumber the protestors and the battle becomes more even as the protestors are held back, while another unit of police officers are lead into the crowd. There is then a close up of a protestor's jeans, which have been ripped in the fracas. More shots show the protestors struggling to resist the polices attempts, but the police are now able to force them back, splitting them down the middle, which allows a van to drive exit the facility and drive through their midst. Title - Repeat exercise. The same process is repeated again with the officers trying to force the crowd away; with small numbers at first, but then introducing more units as the scenario progresses. There are again scenes of protestors throwing rocks at officers with riot shields. An injured man is then shown surrounded by officers, and he is stretched into the back of an ambulance. The final shot of this film again shows large groups of officers trying push back the protestors. Title - Photography - Rex Matthews & Gerald Hancock.