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For Mikey & Tony

This event was a collaboration in conjunction with 4WardEver the Mikey Powell Campaign and Birmingham Indymedia, and took place at The Rainbow in Birmingham on 7th September 2007.

Jebkuru ziņu atjauninājumus par šo lietu tiks uzskaitīti pie pamatnes no šī posteņa

‘Together We Are’ was a vibrant night of live music, arts and poetry commemorating the death of Mikey Powell, who died in police custody in September 2003, and in support of Tony Egbuna Ford, an innocent black man awaiting a death sentence in Texas, USA.

There were blazing live performances by Kapitāla X, Labklājības Poets, Princess Emmanuelle & Draugi, Vasaras Alexander un Tribīnes.
Many of the artistes travelled from the United States and London to take part in this annual event, and the campaign were also supported by The Rainbow manager/owner, Kent, who gave the venue free of charge and provided refreshments to the performers throughout the night.

Thanks also go out to Sam, Alex and others at IndyMedia Birmingham who assisted with securing the venue, publicity, press and radio interviews. Friends and family members also helped on the night and provided support and advice in the planning of the event.

The campaign would also express appreciation to Newstyle Radio, BBC West Midlands un Smooth Radio for giving airtime about the event and the work of 4WardEver, and the Mikey Powell Campaign.

This was a special night enjoyed by all present. We cannot thank enough those artistes that have supported this event every year since Mikey’s death (Vasaras Alexander, Princess Emmanuelle), regular contributors since 2006 (Tribīnes); and this years selfless contributions from Capital X and the Welfare Poets.

Special thanks to Tippa Naphtali who made it all happen!

From Texas death row Tony Egbuna Ford sent us this powerful message:

“The death of Mikey Powell is something that should resonate with everyone in the UK and abroad, regardless of race, class or background. Here was a brother who was taken into police custody, and given an impromptu death sentence.

“For me personally, this resonates with me, in that I was taken into police custody, and charged with a capital offence which resulted in my being sentenced to death. Tagad, while my experience and Mikey Powell’s may not be ‘exactly’ the same, we have both been sentenced to death. Taču, I am still able to fight to save my life. Sadly, brother Mikey Powell is not here to do the same. Brother Mikey should not be dead.”

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Follow-up News:

Tony Egbuna Ford was the driver for two brothers who went to a house in El-Paso to collect a drug debt in 1991. The brothers forced their way in but didn’t find the man they were looking for.

They demanded money from a woman at the address then shot each of the four family members, killing the son, seriously injuring the mother and wounding two young women. There was no evidence to place Tony in the house that night. He was convicted and sentenced to death despite his testimony that he was not involved in the break-in or shooting. Apmeklējiet mājas lapu >

Michael Lloyd Powell, pazīstams kā Mikey, (a cousin of renowned poet and writer Benjamin Zephaniah) died on 7th September 2003, vecumā 38, whilst in police custody in Handsworth, Birmingham.

Here’s what happened: Virsnieki brauca policijas automašīna ar Mikey, hitting viņam, sita viņu ar stekiem, CS saindēts ar gāzi viņam, atturīgi viņu un, zinot, viņš bija ievainots, drove him to a police station not a hospital. Policijas iecirknī darbinieki vienkārši nav piezvaniet ātrajai palīdzībai vairāk 4 minūtes. Mikey bija miris ar laiku tas ieradās. Apmeklējiet mājas lapu >