Why aren’t Black deaths in custody an election issue?

Parliament Protest originally published by: Chronicle World
2nd May 2010

In all the 2010 election brouhaha about fairness in society, no political party has made the alarming number of deaths of Black people in police custody a priority.

However, thanks to the GPI Generation (the heirs of the “Stop Police Brutality” marches) the anguish and concerns of Black communities and voters have gained a voice.

“Now is the time to empower people with “strategies of protest” against injustice in the hands of the law”, said Remi Harris, music producer, and Aisha Phoenix, graduate student as they welcomed speakers, campaigners and bereaved families to the George Padmore Institute meeting.

4 May 201016 December 2022 4WardEverUK

Blair Peach report: What the investigation has uncovered

originally published by: BBC News
27th April 2010

It is rare that an internal police document is exposed to the light of day – and so the publication of the investigation into the death of Blair Peach in 1979 makes extraordinary reading.

But from the very outset, the report by Metropolitan Police Commander John Cass makes it clear that there was no chance of any officer being prosecuted over the New Zealand teacher’s death. Some 31,000 man hours were spent trying to get to the bottom of what had happened – and in the end detectives reached the dead end of insufficient evidence.

The death came during the 1979 general election campaign when the National Front was meeting on St George’s Day at Southall, west London. The area was then emerging as one of the capital’s centres of Asian culture.

Anti-racism campaigners turned out in numbers to face down the National Front. And things quickly spiralled out of control. Some 3,000 people were on the streets and some 345 of them were arrested. Almost 100 police officers were injured, along with 65 protesters and members of the public.

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4 May 201016 December 2022 4WardEverUK

Archie Downie OBE, tireless campaigner, dies aged 85

originally published by: Manchester News
28th April 2010

A race equality campaigner who was instrumental in dealing with the aftermath of the Moss Side riots has died aged 85. Archie Downie OBE co-founded the Manchester Council for Community Relations MCCR in 1966 to fight for immigrants’ rights.

In 1981, following the riots in Moss Side, he played a crucial role in getting disaffected young black men to engage with the authorities – leading a delegation to meet then-Home Secretary William Whitelaw.

Mr Downie, who lived in Heywood Road, Prestwich, and was a magistrate in Manchester, fell ill and died at North Manchester General Hospital last week.