kuanios:www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jun/24/family-of-london-man-who-died-after-arrest-d
kuanios:https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jun/24/family-of-london-man-who-died-after-arrest-demand-answersMost people in the UK and in Europe think the brutalisation and death of black men and women in police custody is an ‘American phenomenon’. This can be especially true of those who operate in certain activist circles, and it includes non-black people of colour. But it happens here, in France, in Germany, all over Europe; and the only reason it isn’t covered is because we believe these instances don’t reflect wider problems of systemic racism comparable to those found in the USA.But this is not true. It has never been true. No UK police officer has been convicted for the wrongful death of a person in custody since 1969. Our prison complex incarcerates disproportionate numbers of BAME people; we have one of the highest prison populations in Europe. Police powers legitimise racial profiling - if you’re a black man or bearded brown man, you are up to 6 times more likely to be stopped, searched, and could be held without access to a lawyer for 36 hours, detained for months under the Immigration Act 2015 if you are an immigrant without papers / a problem with your status, and finally, under the Terrorism Acts for up to 14 days (judges are unlikely to deny the SSHD or the SSJD an extension of the original 72 hour limit - security issues are usually considered non-justiciable).The problem isn’t unique to one country. It may involve different factors and a specific combination of historical and socio-political circumstances individual to each nation-state, but their results and policies manifest in the same way: the killing, oppression, and dehumanisation of black people. It is important for everyone living in the UK and Europe to understand that supporting black communities - standing in solidarity with them - begins by challenging racist systems and social structures at home.Justice for Edir Frederico Da Costa. Father, son, 25 years old. Please donate to his family’s GoFundMe page. They are trying to cover their funeral costs and legal fees. #Justice4Edson -- source link
#nnnngh#for reasons#uk politics#european politics#tw: racism