Ken Hinds has launched a legal challenge against the Metropolitan police after the force told him he was not qualified to call a demonstration under coronavirus health protection regulations because he was not “a business, a charitable, benevolent or philanthropic institution, a public body, or a political body. What this means is that you are encouraging anyone attending to commit an offence contrary to [Health Protection] regulations 5 and 8,” said a trainee commander in an email to Hinds last Thursday.
So what was his planned demo about? Well, you'll never guess...
Hinds is one of a number of campaigners who had called for people to gather in Notting Hill on Sunday, the first day of the west London district’s eponymous carnival, which is cancelled this year.
“It is to tackle systemic racism – institutional racism – and it’s simply to address that, because all too often we are having inquiries and commissions that are saying the same thing but are seldom followed through … there is no change,” Hinds said.
“But what we are trying to say here is that this time it’s different. For the first time we’ve got a significant amount of white people supporting a black cause and joining up and calling for change. That’s a beautiful spirit.”
But the sort of white people that are supporting this wretched 'cause' aren't really saying anything the vast majority feel like listening to either, Ken ol' chum.
Update: Predictably, when faced with opposition from activist lawyers, the Met promptly folded like a pack of cards. And so any violence their rank and file officers will now face will be on them.
Every citizen should acknowledge efforts on the part of police to make changes, post Macpherson. The Metropolitan Police Commissioner has repeatedly gushed out claims that the Report defined her generation of policing. Surely that is not in doubt?
ReplyDeleteAnd Sir William did the legal profession a great financial service, for which he will be long remembered, in moving the police from 'there' Institutionally racist status to that of Institutionally hateful.
So the assertion that there has been 'no change', is not quite true, Mr Hinds.
A new generation happily voices changes in every county; reciprocating the new police spirit of Universal Hate. Here in Yorkshire, the average white pre-teen male, may often be heard referring to personal goals along these lines, such as 'shanking' a copper...whatever that mischievous language entails. The interesting times in which we live, may necessitate bullet-proof transport with forward-firing machine guns and emergency video delete, for all.
As always Julia it's the front line police that take the brunt,not the shiny arses.
ReplyDeleteI'm working this weekend even though the notting hill stabathon has been cancelled. Expecting flare ups all over London instead of just the one place. Will be impossible to manage.
Jaded
What exactly is this "change" that these people are demanding? It is illegal to discriminate against anyone solely based on their ethnicity. That a minority of ignorant people are still racists is undeniable but it appears to me that the "systemic racism – institutional racism" that he speaks of exists only inside his head.
ReplyDeleteMelvin you are losing the plot.
ReplyDeleteJaded
"Expecting flare ups all over London instead of just the one place."
ReplyDeleteWe'll have to hope Officer Rain puts in an appearance.
"What exactly is this "change" that these people are demanding?"
Ask one. The smart ones won't elaborate but the dim ones will...
"Melvin you are losing the plot."
Can't lose what you never had!
'Tis a trivial loss comparatively, JuliaM.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't have been a widow for all these decades but for him losing the will to live?