lucia's: Protest march on Downing Street to highlight deaths of black detainees

Friday, October 28, 2011

Protest march on Downing Street to highlight deaths of black detainees

Annual march, which will call attention to increase in deaths of black people in custody, expected to be the largest yet

Protesters will march on Downing Street on Saturday to highlight a big increase in the number of black people dying in police custody this year.

In 2010 three black detainees died in police custody. Between January and August 2011 there were eight.

This increase comes at a time of overall decline in deaths in all forms of custody. According to a report from the independent advisory panel on deaths in custody there has been a 16% reduction in all custody deaths between 2000 and 2010.

The Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn has tabled questions asking the home secretary what steps she will take to address the increase in deaths of black detainees.

The assistant chief constable Andy Adams, lead for custody at the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo), said: "Every death in custody is a tragedy. Over the past decade, Acpo has been encouraged by the downward trend in the number of deaths in custody."

But the demonstrators say the general improvement does not include black detainees. Helen Shaw, co-director of Inquest, said: "There is a persistent use of unacceptable levels of restraint. We have to question the effectiveness of organisational learning both about dangerous use of force and institutional racism as the numbers of deaths of black men in contentious circumstances begin to rise again. Whilst we await the outcome of the inquests and investigations into these recent deaths it is imperative that the police are reminded that they cannot act with impunity."

The 13th annual march against custody deaths is expected to be the largest yet. Families want to meet David Cameron and say all the deaths must be investigated independently, with all information disclosed to relatives. They also insist that automatic prosecutions result from unlawful killing verdicts at inquests.

The march comes as Britain's chief police officers are to circulate new guidelines on control and restraint procedures, the Guardian has learned.

A review is also being conducted into safer detention and handling of people in police custody. Acpo said the revised guidelines would be sent to every police force in the new year, but it refused to elaborate on what forces would be told.

Some of the deaths this year involve high-profile cases such as the shooting of Mark Duggan in Tottenham in August, the death of the reggae star Smiley Culture in March, and the amateur rugby player Jacob Michael, who died in August after being restrained. Restraint was also involved in the deaths of Kingsley Burrell in March, Olaseni Lewis, who died last year, and Jimmy Mubenga, the immigration detainee who died after being restrained by immigration escorts.

Ajibola Lewis, the mother of Olaseni, said: "The police can't just restrain and kill and get away with it ? I do feel that the police think in stereotypes about black men. There is no closure for the loss of Olaseni. The grieving is continuous. I wouldn't wish what we've been through on my worst enemy."

Shaun Hall, Mark Duggan's brother, said: "We have been told there were 31 police officers involved in the operation against my brother. I call what happened to my brother an assassination."

Though concerned by the recent increase, the protesters also plan to raise past cases. Patrick Jarrett, son of Cynthia Jarrett, whose death following a visit by police triggered the Broadwater Farm riots in 1985, said: "It's 26 years since my mum died. A public inquiry found in favour of the family but nothing has been done, nothing has been implemented. The police have no accountability for their actions."

Diane Taylor

Hugh Muir