“I can’t breathe” pleads black man attacked by Brighton police

Brighton police racist violence on display in yet another shocking video.

From the Independent

Video footage showing officers restraining a man as he repeatedly shouts “I can’t breathe” has been referred to the police watchdog. 

A man can be seen lying on the ground as he is restrained by three officers near a police car in a recording captured in Brighton on Tuesday.

A witness to the incident said: “I have seen people be arrested before, I have never seen anything like that. 

“It was really, really shocking. I do not understand why there were three policemen sat on him.”

Join the Brighton BLM protest

Details here.

End racist stop and search, scrap Section 60 – protest at Tottenham police station

There’s a protest at Tottenham police station on Saturday against stop and search

Called by Haringey Stand Up To Racism

End Stop & Search
Scrap Section 60
Ban the Taser

Peaceful Protest Saturday 11 July 12 noon – 1.30pm

outside Tottenham police station, High Road N17 9JA

Thanks to all who made last Saturday’s protest in Duckett’s Common a success. This week we take the campaign back to Tottenham Police Station on the High Road. Bring banners and placards – let’s keep up the momentum!

Black Lives Matter
This is a static, socially distanced protest. Wear a mask.

Please share and circulate to your networks.

Facebook event

Instagram here

Twitter here

Emergency protest against Cressida Dick visit on Friday 10 July,

There’s also an emergency protest tomorrow, Friday 10th against Met commissioner Cressida Dick’s visit to Tottenham.

4pm at Tottenham Hotspur Football aground, Tottenham High Road

Sprucing up Trump Tower BLM-style

Great to see the BLM paint job outside the obscene low-class Trump Tower in New York City.

Unfortunately Trump is unlikely to see it in person as he doesn’t visit his hometown anymore, because he is so universally hated there.

Hopefully the paint job will put off people spending their money at the hotel and hasten the demise of Trump Inc.

The shine was taken off the whole affair somewhat though, after the sighting of Mayor Bill de Blasio joining in with the roadworks.

This is the same Bill de Blasio who was singing the praises of the New York cops when they were brutalising peaceful protesters.

The same mayor that imposed curfews in a dangerous attack on the freedom of assembly that is meant to be guaranteed in the US constitution.

The same Bill de Blasio who got elected – as did some other Democrat politicians – on the promise of addressing police racist violence, militarisation and general corruption, but then after getting into office doing nothing.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCboII8Jfzf/?igshid=1if8m87ytdqn3

But de Blasio aside, it’s still good to see some irritant being rubbed into the eyes of the man in the high castle.

There’s more on thumbing it to Trump Tower at the New York Times:

NEW YORK — New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio grabbed a roller Thursday to paint “Black Lives Matter” in front of the namesake Manhattan tower of President Donald Trump, who tweeted last week that the street mural would be “a symbol of hate.”

De Blasio was flanked by his wife, Chirlane McCray, and the Rev. Al Sharpton as he helped paint the racial justice rallying cry in giant yellow letters on Fifth Avenue in front of Trump Tower. Activists watching chanted, “Whose streets? Our streets!”

“When we say ‘Black Lives Matter,’ there is no more American statement, there is no more patriotic statement because there is no America without Black America,” de Blasio said. “We are acknowledging the truth of ourselves as Americans by saying ‘Black Lives Matter.’ We are righting a wrong.”

The mayor announced the plan to paint “Black Lives Matter” in front of Trump Tower last month after earlier saying the slogan would be painted on streets at several locations around the city. Trump responded via Twitter that the mural would denigrate “this luxury Avenue” and “further antagonize New York’s Finest.” De Blasio tweeted back that Black Lives Matter is “a movement to recognize and protect the lives of Black people.”

Rahima Torrence, 20, who was among the people slapping yellow paint onto Fifth Avenue, said that even though the mural might be a symbol, “it’s the beginning of something more.” She said the location in front of Trump’s own skyscraper “shows that we matter and it shows to him that you can’t ignore us.”

Emergency protest of Met’s Cressida Dick Tottenham visit – Friday 10 July 4pm

Update 3:30pm BST 10 July 2020

Protest today against Crassida Dick is cancelled

We understand that Tottenham Hotspur Football Club cancelled the meeting with Cressida Dick today after news of our protest reached them. The meeting is off – so our protest is cancelled.

Cressida Dick and other apologists for the racist harassment of black youth by the police should be aware that this is just the beginning of our campaign. We fight on until we achieve victory.

Called by Haringey Stand Up To Racism

Call out for emergency protest.

Cressida Dick, Met police chief, is visiting Tottenham on Friday July 10.

Yesterday in Parliament she justified the Met police strategy on Stop & Search and on racial profiling. Let her know we oppose the racist police force.

Protest on Friday July 10, 4pm

Outside Tottenham Hotspur stadium, High Rd, Tottenham.

End racist stop and search

No to racial profiling

Scrap Section 60 stop and search 

There’s also a protest at Tottenham police station on Saturday against stop and search:

Haringey Stand Up To Racism

End Stop & Search
Scrap Section 60
Ban the Taser

Peaceful Protest Saturday 11 July 12 noon – 1.30pm

outside Tottenham police station, High Road N17 9JA

Thanks to all who made last Saturday’s protest in Duckett’s Common a success. This week we take the campaign back to Tottenham Police Station on the High Road. Bring banners and placards – let’s keep up the momentum!

Black Lives Matter
This is a static, socially distanced protest. Wear a mask.

Please share and circulate to your networks.

Facebook event

Instagram here

Twitter here

Quarter of young black people in London stopped by cops during lockdown

Chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee has got hold of damning evidence of the extent of the oppressive nature of the policing of black (and white) youth in the big cities of the UK, especially London.

Lots of anecdotal evidence has been cited about the increase in stops of young people and now we have the proof.

For black youth the level of harassment has gone way off the scale, with a quarter of all the young black people having been stopped during the lockdown.

This comes after the overpolicing of block parties on working class housing estates.

From the Guardian:

Young black men were stopped and searched by police more than 20,000 times in London during the coronavirus lockdown – the equivalent more than a quarter of all black 15- to 24-year-olds in the capital.

More than 80% of the 21,950 searches between March and May resulted in no further action, according to analysis by the office of the home affairs select committee chair, Yvette Cooper.

The figures equate to 30% of all young black males in London, though some individuals may have been searched more than once.

The Met increased its use of stop and search during the lockdown, compared with a year ago. The force carried out 43,000 stops in May, compared to 21,000 a year earlier, and 30,608 in April, up from 20,981.

Katrina Ffrench, chief executive of Stopwatch, a charity that campaigns against the disproportionate use of stop and search, said: “The number is shocking and saddening. How do those young people feel when this is their city, they’re going about their daily business, could be caring for parents, all sorts of reasons as to why they’re out?” more

Parliament Home Affairs Select Committee hears evidence on stop and search. Hearing evidence this week.

https://www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/cd010bb3-558c-4575-9a23-ec4a5070a3cb

3 cops share racist material on WhatsApp of Kayode Ewumi meme

More disturbing news emerged today from inside the police – this time the Cambridgeshire Constabulary.

One officer has been suspended and two others placed on restricted duties after sharing racist material on WhatsApp.

An image of actor Kayode Ewumi that had previously gone viral was reposted but with the word “monkey” added underneath.

Kayode Ewumi meme

That was followed up with another officer posting a photo of a monkey hanging from a tree.

One of the officers in the officers’ unit is from a black and minority ethnic background and the vile messages found their way to his phone.

His 17-year-old son saw the images when using his parent’s phone and contacted the media.

“I felt it was my duty to speak out about this. It has really upset my family. I’m speechless and shocked. I think we should expect more from police officers.

Yes we should expect more but sadly the evidence – if further evidence were needed – is piling up about the institutional racism that plagues the police force.

It is past time that officers who have committed racist offensive be sacked from their jobs forthwith, but here we again have suspension on full pay and so called “restricted duties”.

Enough!