This has got cock-all to do with the police - they are just implementing (probably unhappily) the will of the Government. The Americans will have insisted on the highest levels of security for Condoleeza's visit and, as ever, the govt will have rolled over and played bitch.
The police are in the front line and always take the flak for unfortunate situations brought on by politicians looking to curry favour with other countries (remember the Chinese visit).
Gaseous did the right thing not going flying even though he would have been within his rights to do so - why stir up a hornets nest just because you can?