Category Archives: UK

Video: Herts police in violent assault on 16-year-old, knee on neck

“Let go of my hand or I will f**king smash your face in, do you understand” screams a Hertfordshire police officer as he arrests mixed race 16-year-old youth in Hatfield.

The police chased the youth, took him to the ground. He was detained and arrested for suspicion of possession of drugs, strip searched and found to be carrying nothing and subsequently released.

The teenager pleaded with a passerby not to leave as he feared even more violent assault or worse at the hands of the police.

Knee on neck in widespread use by British police?

The violence of the arrest included another clearly documented use of the infamous knee on neck restraint technique.

This follows an incident in Islington last week and another in Brighton.

These are of course just the incidents we know about because they were caught on video by alert members of the public.

His mother, Lisa, has accused the police of carrying out a racist attack in the way he was singled out and subsequently assaulted.

“I do believe this was a racist attack,” she said.

“He is covered in bruises. We are very frightened that this officer is still serving although the incident has been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, the body for monitoring misconduct.”

Of the three friends only the white girl was allowed to leave the police officers’ presence unmolested.

The family have seen the racist officer three times outside their home since the violent attack.

Sack racist police now!

Why has this violent racist policeman faced no discipline. Indeed, why does he still have a job?

When asked why the teenager was stopped, the police says he looked “suspicious”, by which they presumably mean he looked a bit black.

More details at The Hertfordshire Advertiser

https://www.hertsad.co.uk/news/sixteen-year-old-hatfield-boy-says-he-was-assaulted-by-police-1-6753204?jwsource=cl

Solidarity with black lives matter: US workers Strike For Black Lives

Thousands of workers all over the US are walking out to show their support for the Strike For Black Lives. Read more about the background here.

From the Washington Post:

Tens of thousands of workers nationwide have or are planning to walk off the job Monday in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, hoping to draw closer scrutiny to the income inequality and systemic racism that organizers say have become more entrenched during the pandemic.

The “Strike for Black Lives,” as leaders have dubbed the campaign in more than two dozen cities, includes workers from a broad range of industries. Service Employees International Union, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, American Federation of Teachers and members of dozens of other labor and political groups plan to take part.

Participants are pushing for “an unequivocal declaration that Black Lives Matter” from business and political leaders; action from government officials to “reimagine our economy and democracy” with civil rights in mind; businesses to “dismantle racism, white supremacy, and economic exploitation”; and access to union organizing, according to a list of demands posted on the strike’s website…

…In New York, Antoine Andrews, a UPS driver in Long Island City and member of the Teamsters Local 804, helped lead more than 100 employees in a demonstration in front of their workplace early Monday morning. Andrews and co-workers did not strike, but wanted to express solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and send a message to their employer to take issues of inequality seriously. more

In Durham North Carolina:

From the Florida Poor People’s Campaign:

“One of the things we have to understand about a capitalistic system that began with slavery, is what the ultimate goal always is, and that’s to get wages as close to zero as possible, because the nation’s wealth was built on paying nothing.” @RevDrBarber

Across the country, essential workers are on strike for Black lives

From Vox:

Racial injustice and Covid-19 have collided for many essential workers. Today they’re on strike.

Fast food workers like Edie will be joined by an enormous swath of the workforce: other low-wage workers like airport employees, ride-hail drivers, nursing home caregivers, and domestic workers alongside middle-class teachers and nurses and even high-paid Google engineers. Those who can’t strike the whole day will walk off the job for eight minutes and 46 seconds, the amount of time a white police officer kept his knee on Black Minneapolis resident George Floyd’s neck before he died.

It’s a massive action that will bring together major unions as well as grassroots organizers. The Service Employees International Union, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, and American Federation of Teachers will join forces with the Fight for 15, United Farm Workers, and the National Domestic Workers Alliance. Social justice organizations, such as the Movement for Black Lives, Poor People’s Campaign, and youth climate organizers will also participate. It represents a unique partnership: Labor unions don’t always act in concert, let alone partner with grassroots and social justice groups. more

Detroit: “[Corporations] talk about Black Lives Matter but they’re not standing with us. They’re not on the frontlines with us.”

UK anti-racist group Stand Up To Racism sent solidarity greetings

Carmarthen to Leamington Spa: BLM protests Saturday 18 – pictures from around the UK

BLM protests took place all over the UK last weekend, as they have for the past two months. Below we report on just some of them.

“Get your knee off my neck” – Justice for Marcus Coutain

Around 50 people gathered outside Islington police station on Saturday after an officer was filmed kneeling on Marcus Coutain’s neck as was being detained.

Islington black lives matter
Outside Islington police station in north London on Saturday 18 July

BLM protests in Lewsiham

Lewisham black lives matter
Lewisham
Lewisham black lives matter
Lewisham

Above: BLM protest in Lewisham, south east London

Below: Smethwick, West Midlands takes the knee

Around 60 people gathered in Smethwick to take the knee for racial equality.

Smethwick BLM protest
Smethwick blm
Smethwick

Leamington Spa says black lives matter!

Leamington Spa black lives matter
Leamington Spa

Above: Leamington Spa

Carmarthen, Wales: 100 turn out for Picton Must Fall! demo

A socially distanced demonstration calling for the removal of the Picton Memorial in Carmarthen and its replacement with a fitting memorial to the victims of Thomas Picton and slavery.

black lives matter stand up to racism
Carmarthen
black lives matter stand up to racism
Picton Must Fall!
black lives matter stand up to racism
Carmarthen

BLM LONDON protests reports and PICS Saturday 18 July – SUNDAY 19th

There were lively BLM protests in London on Saturday 18 July and Sunday 19th.

Saturday’s protest was in memory of Elijah McClain and the continuing fight for justice.

On Sunday there was also a march from Marble Arch to Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens.

Pictures below from London BLM

BLM protest 18 July London
BLM protest, central London, Saturday 18 July
BLM protest 18 July London Oxford Circus
BLM protest, Oxford Circus sit down, central London, Saturday 18 July

“Get off my neck”: Protest at Islington police station, 12 noon Saturday 18 July

When does this end? That’s what black Londoners are asking themselves after video footage emerged of the police kneeling on a man’s neck during an arrest in Islington north London yesterday.

Fortunately for the man shouting “I can’t breathe” and “get off my neck”, he is still alive and has not suffered serious injury.

That’s no thanks to the police, and is instead due to the intervention of members of the public who were on hand to film this latest outrage.

One of the officers involved has been suspended, on full pay as usual, and another put on restricted duties.

Sack racist police thugs

Officers involved in such practices should be immediately sacked not effectively given time-off the job on full pay.

Maybe if they knew that they would immediately lose their jobs for such criminality they would think twice about going down that route.

Equally shocking is the fact that the police have no qualms about using this horrific restraint technique even after the murder of George Floyd and weeks of protests in the US and here in the UK.

It is not so much that the police are stupid. Instead it shows the depths of racist culture in the Met police. Every black person, in their eyes, is worthy of such treatment.

https://twitter.com/RealAiRavish/status/1283848919408152577?s=20

Protest at Tollington police station

Saturday 18 July

Stop Police Violence Now – Remember George Floyd

Protest Islington at Police Station

N1 0YY

12 noon

Called by Islington Stand Up To Racism

Police abandon arrest in face of action by Sistah Space protesters

The police turned up at the protest to keep open vital women’s service Sistah Space.

As you can see in the video below by Charlotte Moore, the cops got more than they bargained for after an intervention by concerned citizens to stop an arrest of a woman protester.

Hackney Council is forcing the Women’s refuge service that provides a safe space for survivors of domestic violence to close. This protest aims to stop that.

But in the middle of the protest (Friday 10 July) the police attempted to arrest a protester.

A call went up from Sistah Space supporters: “Let her go!”

Police were surrounded and eventually forced to exit the scene.

Now that’s what we call community policing!

Please support Sistah Space by donating to their gofundme here.

https://www.facebook.com/728002463/videos/pcb.1132392470460146/10158325629857464/

Echoes of George Floyd murder in police killing of Frank Ogboru

Frank Ogboru died after being restrained by police in Calderwood Street Woolwich, London, on 26 September 2006.

Four police officers were on top of Frank, with one at least for some of the time with his knee forced down on his head, when he expired.

Frank Ogboru, a Nigerian businessman, was on a tourist visit to the UK when he met his death.

The full horror is coming to light after an Inquest found that the police had ignored Frank’s cries and he struggled for breath.

“You are killing me, I can’t breathe,” he pleas.

Speaking from Lagos, Mr Ogboru’s widow, Christy said at the time of the killing: “I am crushed. I put my faith in the British system to give me justice but it has failed me. Frank was not a criminal. He did not deserve to die in the street like an animal.”

The Crown Prosecution Service is now reopening the case. Channel Four News has the full story:

Channel 4 news investigation into killing of Frank Ogboru

Photos: Tottenham BLM says end Section 60 stop and search and ban tasers now!

A hundred BLM protesters assembled outside the Tottenham police station for the third time in the past three weeks as they stepped up their campaign against stop and search and for the banning of the Taser.

Support was notably vocal from passing motorists, as the constant stream of police abuses caught on video adds to rising anger across London.

Thanks to Stand Up To Racism for organising.

A similar protest was held down the road at Hackney’s Stoke Newington police station later in the day

  • BLM protest at Tottenham police station 11 July 2020 - called by Stand Up To Racism
  • BLM protest at Tottenham police station 11 July 2020 - called by Stand Up To Racism
  • BLM protest at Tottenham police station 11 July 2020 - called by Stand Up To Racism
  • BLM protest at Tottenham police station 11 July 2020 - called by Stand Up To Racism
  • BLM protest at Tottenham police station 11 July 2020 - called by Stand Up To Racism
  • BLM protest at Tottenham police station 11 July 2020 - called by Stand Up To Racism
  • BLM protest at Tottenham police station 11 July 2020 - called by Stand Up To Racism
  • BLM protest at Tottenham police station 11 July 2020 - called by Stand Up To Racism

Christopher Alder: Hull BLM protest continues the fight for justice

Hundreds took to the streets of Hull to fight for justice for Christopher Alder.

Christopher died on the floor of a police station in Hull in 1998.

The long fight to get justice has seen Janet, his sister, become the subject of police harassment as they investigated her for having the audacity to persist with a determined campaign to uncover the truth.

Hideous video footage from the Queens Gardens police station in where Christopher was killed, showed police officers standing around laughing and making money noises while Christoper, an ex British paratrooper, died in front of them.

The police killing of Christopher Alder

Such was the neglect and downright obstruction of the authorities, they even released for burial the wrong body, rubbing salt into the wounds of the family.

Christopher’s sister Janet Alder speaking at today’s protest said: “I keep coming back and go over Christopher’s story, until people make a change.

Although an inquest found that Christoper was unlawfully killed, more than twenty years no-one has been held to account for it.