Družine United4Justice

Družine & Prijatelji Unite

prirejeno iz izvirnega članka z Harmit Athwal od IRR
22nd maj 2010 (glej opombo)

Družine in aktivistov zbralo v Leicester se poklonili tistim, ki je umrl v policijskem, zaporu ali psihiatričnih priporu.

At a meeting and event organised by the 4WardEver UK Campaign in association with the Friends of Mikey Powell Campaign for Justice, Habib Ullah Campaign in Leicester državljanske pravice Movement, there was no mistaking the serious issues being addressed. Glejte Galerija >

Transparenti in plakati mrtvih najdražje krasijo stene in stopnji, Dvorana je bila nabito polno s stojnic knjig in DVD-jev in informacije o družinam in organizacijam kampanjo o umrlih v priporu, filmi so bili prikazani in družinskih članov in aktivistov dal govori. In, v veliki finale na večer, zabave, ki jo je Summer Alexander, Lennox Cartyja, Trooperz, Genesis Elijah in Broombusters – , ki je šla dol nevihta.

Priya Thamotheram, vodja Highfields Centre, opened proceedings by talking about the centre having a history as a base of community campaigns and how the Leicester Civil Rights Movement (LCRM), which will be celebrating its tenth birthday later this year, was established at the centre to meet the needs of vulnerable asylum seekers being dispersed to the area. Asylum seekers are still there and now, increasingly, experiencing destitution as a result of inhumane asylum laws.

The day marked what would have been the forty-fifth birthday of Mikey Powell, who died in September 2003 after being detained by police in Birmingham. Mikey, who was suffering from mental health problems, was knocked down by a police car, restrained with batons and CS spray and taken to Thornhill Road police station where he was found not to be breathing. Novembra 2009, an inquest jury found that Mikey died as a result of the position the police officers had placed him in the van.

Tippa Naphtali from the Friends of Mikey Powell Campaign for Justice and 4WardEver UK asked the meeting a simple question, ‘why are we here?’ Dodal je, ‘the people we pay are killing members of our families. They have a duty of care to people in detention.’

He also paid tribute to other May anniversaries of people that have died in custody, on death row and by police assaults including Delara Darabi, Brian Douglas, Police bombing of The MOVE HQ, Kebba ‘Dobo’ Jobe, in John Maloney.

Jane Deighton, solicitor for the family of Mikey Powell, commended the inquest jury for having seen through the evidence presented by the police to bring in a verdict that had helped the family gain some sort of justice. The family of Mikey Powell, in turn, paid tribute to the hard work and support of their solicitor and barrister.

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