Hundreds attend peaceful Duggan protest

Several hundreds gathered in Tottenham outside the police station on Saturday to both support the Mark Duggan family and to register their anger at the Royal Court of Justice findings that Mark Duggan was ‘lawfully’ killed by the police.

The atmosphere was tense, the rhetoric against the authorities particularly the police was of anger and frustration, but throughout this outpouring of pain and bewilderment the clarion call for a peaceful protest held good.

Speaker after speaker spoke about loss of loved ones in police custody: From Mark Duggan’s family to Roger Sylvester, to Jean Charles de Menezes. These and other families all shared the same narrative; their loved ones encountered the police, fit and healthy, but through their encounter they would end up deceased. What was most disturbing with all the stories from the families trials and tribulations was the deluge of lies and half truths which the police and others had given to thwart getting to the truth.

The Duggan family, like the Stephen Lawrence family before vowed to fight on for justice and the truth. On Saturday many hundreds pledged to support them, and the community’s campaign for a policing that works for us not against us.

Given the expectation by some that trouble would ensue after the vigil, I was impressed with both the organisers, particularly Pastor Nimms Obunge, but also those such as Rev Joel Edwards, Bishop Eric Brown, retired police Chief Leroy Logan, activists Suresh Grover and Lee Jasper, all of whom sought to show leadership that we can be angry and protest in a peaceful dignified way.

Simon Woolley