Tuesday 25 June 2013

Community protest as Police lose CCTV evidence of unprovoked racist attack in Willesden - Report from Robin Sivapalan

At 5.20am on Sunday 9th June, 5 white men pulled up in a black luxury car near Willesden Bus Garage on the High Road and attacked two young men of African descent, who had just got off a bus from central London.

One managed to avoid being punched in the face and was separated from the other, who was punched to the ground and kicked repeatedly.

Three witnesses across the road shouted out and ran across to his defence; the men got into their car and drove off shouting. The victim was taken by the police to hospital with bruises under his eyes and later had a broken tooth removed.  One of the witnesses, Robin Sivapalan, a local trade unionist met him later at Northwick Park hospital and brought him to his house to recover.

On chasing up the incident later that day with police at Wembley, Robin was informed that the case had not yet been allocated to an investigating officer, nor had it been logged as a racist attack. He stressed to the police officer that the assault could well have been far more damaging had there not been an intervention from the public, that the attackers posed a threat to all Black people - not just the particular victim in this case - and that this was possible backlash to the Woolwich incident.

Robin and the victim went to a local business where they were shown the CCTV footage which caught the entire attack, with the car, from two cameras and they informed the police that the evidence was available.

It took till Thursday for the police to call the victim, and the investigating officer failed to reply to any of the messages left by Robin. By the following Thursday the CCTV footage had been lost. The police had been told that they were welcome to collect the recording equipment themselves while the footage was still retrievable.

The police attended the business on Wednesday 19th and discovered one set of footage had been deleted. They only collected the recording equipment and called in witnesses after DS Williams had been informed by Robin that the second set of footage had also been lost and that he would take the matter further. On Tuesday 25th June the police issued an appeal for witnesses via the Kilburn Times providing the wrong time and location of the assault, with no mention that it was a racist attack.

The case has been brought to the attention of Aslam Choudry, Brent Council’s Lead member for Crime Prevention and Public Safety, also a councillor for Dudden Hill where the incident took place. He has raised it with the police Borough Commander Matthew Gardner and the Council Leader, Muhammad Butt.


Local residents in Brent are holding a picket at Wembley Police Station, 7pm, Thursday 27th June, calling for meeting with the Borough Commander that will provide accountability for this failure to act. A spokesperson for the residents says: “We don’t believe this is an isolated incident of hate crime in the area. At Brent Council’s commemoration of Lee Rigby, the Borough Commander proudly informed us that there had been no recorded incidents following Woolwich, yet we can see here how the police fail to treat these attacks as hate crimes and are happy to lose the evidence when it handed to them on a plate. With a spike in Islamophobic and racist attacks around the country, it is shocking that in a Borough where the majority of us could face such an attack, the police can display such complacency and disregard for our concerns. This is exactly the form of institutional racism that is in the media again this week, with the discovery of the police’s attempts to smear Stephen Lawrence’s family”.   

Sunday 23 June 2013

Tina Benson from North West London Hospitals will be coming to the Brent Fightback meeting on Wednesday July 3rd 7.30 pm at Brent Trades Hall (it says London Apollo Club above the door) 375 High Rd, Willesden NW10 2JR to discuss the future of emergency services at Central Middlesex Hospital

Everyone is welcome. Please come prepared to give your views.

Friday 21 June 2013

The next Brent Fightback meeting will be on Wednesday July 3rd 7.30 pm at Brent Trades Hall (London Apollo Club) 375 High Rd, Willesden NW10 2JR

HEALTH We have invited Tina Benson from NW London Hospitals who wants people's views on the future of emergency services at Central Middlesex Hospital. No reply yet to our invitation. she had invited people to meet her, but was only able to offer times during the working day. 

Eighteen months ago, Brent Trades Council and Brent Fightback began campaigning to save our local health services and joined with other campaigning against the swingeing cuts to emergency and other hospital services planned in the document laughingly called Shaping a Healthier Future. Now, better late than never, Brent's Labour Party and the Labour Council appear to be waking up to the threat to local people. Attached are notices of a meeting called by Brent Health Unison on Friday July 5th. Brent Fightback has been invited to provide a speaker. The following week on July 11th, Brent Labour Party Health Group has a public meeting.

Many of us and a number of Labour councillors and would-be candidates were at the London wide demonstration to defend our Health Services on May 18th. One aim of that demonstration was to show the need for a national demonstration for our NHS. Now one has been called. This is from Keep Our NHS Public:
NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION CALLED FOR THE NHS!
SUNDAY 29 SEPTEMBER
Tory Party Conference, Manchester
A national demonstration in defence of the NHS has been called on 29 September at the Tory Party Conference. This was confirmed by Unite- see below for their newsflash.
And at Unison conference this week, general secretary Dave Prentis called on the TUC to organise a mass rally and lobby on 29 September in defence of the NHS. "And if they don't, then Unison with our sister union Unite will do it ourselves." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I73r-ED6lfM&feature=player_embedded (6m in)
We should feel proud that the May 18 demonstration organised by London campaigns and all of the lobbying has helped get us to this next step forward for a national campaign.

URGENT START PLANNING NOW
Planning needs to start now before the holiday period to make sure that we publicise the demonstration and make transport arrangements. 
Watch this space for more information and the next London coordination meeting in w/c 15 July

EDUCATION
Gladstone Park Primary School: Governors are recommending that the school becomes an academy with the CfBT School Trust. There is a meeting for all parents on Tuesday June 25th. The Parents' Action Group with the strong support  of Brent NUT continues to campaign against academisation and for the school to be allowed to continue its strong improvement as part of Brent's family of schools.

Copland School, after an adverse OFSTED report, is also under pressure to become and academy. Teachers have already taken one day of well supported strike action and parents have set up a Parents' Action Group to resist this. Copland's building is dilapidated and in urgent need of rebuilding, providing and inadequate and demoralising environment for teaching and learning. Funds promised for essential building work under the Building Schools for the Future scheme were withdrawn. A Copland student even spoke to David Cameron about the need for a decent learning environment. The school also suffered from the alleged financial irregularities of the previous head and his coterie who are accused of siphoning off millions that should have been spent on the students into bonuses for themselves. Academies are at greater risk of those kinds of financial irregularities than maintained schools, so many staff and parents remain unconvinced that becoming an academy is the answer to their problems.

DEMONSTRATION FOR EDUCATION IN SOLIDARITY WITH TEACHERS STRIKING IN NW ENGLAND - SEE POSTER ON THIS BLOG.

POSTAL SERVICES Postal workers have voted overwhelmingly for action against privatisation.

BRENT FIGHTBACK AND BRENT HOUSING ACTION HAVE RESERVED A STALL AT THE GLADSTONBURY FESTIVAL IN GLADSTONE PARK ON SUNDAY JUNE 30th. BHA WILL HAVE SLEEPING BAGS AND (maybe) COMRADES IN PYJAMAS TO SHOW THE HOMLESSNESS RESULTING FROM THIS GOVERNMENT'S HOUSING POLICIES AND BENEFIT CUTS.

FIGHTBACK WILL, WEATHER PERMITTING HAVE WET SPONGES TO THROW AT BRAVE/FOOLHARDY COMRADES IN MINISTERIAL MASKS.

We will of course also have information and campaigning leaflets. If any of you can spare an hour or two (or more) to help, come and find our stall. We plan to set up at about 12 noon and to stay until about 6.00 pm. 


Sunday 9 June 2013

Actions for Fightback activists



EDUCATION

COPLAND FORCED ACADEMISATION - Unions are pushing for a meeting with parents. You can support by writing to Michael Pavey (new lead member for children and families) Cllr.Michael.Pavey@brent.gov.uk urging that parents are consulted before any imposition of an Interim Executive Board (IEBs replace the more democratically elected governing body). Also correct claims made by Pavey and Mohammed Butt that the strikes disrupted students taking national examinations. In fact children were well supported and able to take their exams as normal with staff invigilating exempted from the strike, some striking teachers went in to help settle the students in before th exams started, and the demonstration outside the school was ended before the exams started so there was no noise to disturb the students.

GLADSTONE PARK FORCED ACADEMISATION - Parents Action Group are asking Pavey to instruct officers to make clear statement on behalf of the Council that with LA support and the current management trajectory the school is capable fo becoming Ofsted 'Good' without a forced academy.

MICHAELA FREE SCHOOL - Residents complained about erection of giant pupil recruitment banner on Arena House without planning permission and it was removed on Wednesday. Considering leafleting prospective parents in Autumn 2013 when admissions process begins for the first year's intake in  September 2014.

SUPPORT NEEDED FOR DEMONSTRATION - Stand Up for Schools Tues 25th June Assemble Westminster Cathedral Piazza 5pm to march to DfE. Rally 6.30pm at Emmanuel Centre, Marsham Street, SW1 3DW

HOUSING

EARLY WARNING - Judicial Review hearing June 18th Mencap v Brent  Council on cuts to 'floating support' for vulnerable people. Details to be confirmed.

GLADSTONEBURY FESTIVAL  June 30th Noon-6/7pm Brent Fightback and Brent Housing Action will have joint stall. Organising participatory activiites involving political figures and wet sponges.

NHS

Defend London's Health Service Meeting June 12th 7pm Unite House, 128 Theobalds Road, WC1X 8TN

Hunt for Hunt 'happening' in Jeremy Hunt's Constituency Saturday 15th June. Coaches leave corner of Longford Avenue/Gordon Rd, Ealing W5 at 9am

We encourage people to attend Brent Healthwatch meetings http://healthwatchbrent.co.uk/

Fiona Harkham NW London Health Trust to be invited to our next meeting (July 5th) to hear our views on A&E reconfiguration etc

SAVE THE QUEENSBURY
Fairview Homes have withdrawn planning application and will reapply but only delay not victory. Still intend to demolish the pub.  Seehttp://savethequeensbury.info/

BRENT CIVIC CENTREGradual move of staff into the new building. Possible demonstration to greet any official opening ceremony. GD to investigate and circulate broad range of groups with information.

BIN VEOLIA IN BRENTBrent Council stonewalling with spurious legal arguments and lack of information. Street stalls and petitioning are planned. Public Meeting on  June 27th 7pm, Pakistan Community Centre, Station Road/Marley Walk, Willesden Green. Will combine Show Israel the Red Card and Veolia issues.

NEXT MEETING JULY 3rd 7PM , BRENT TRADES HALL, WILLESDEN HIGH ROAD, NW10