Support the Bradford families. Home Office Tue 17 Sep
be there! | 13.09.2002 20:54
A picket will be held by the families and friends of the Bradford people given extremely harsh jail sentances in the aftermath of the riot last summer... Now the Home secretary himself has stuck his ore in.. All progressive activists should be there.
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Miscarriages of JusticeUK (MOJUK)
Tele: 0121-554-6947 Fax: 0121-554-7891
mojuk@mojuk.org.uk
http://www.mojuk.org.uk
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Picket of the Home Secretary and Public Rally
Support the Bradford Campaigners
Tuesday 17th September 2002
A demonstration will be held outside the Home Office in response to the outrageous comments by David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, concerning the unjustified harsh sentencing in Bradford. He said "those jailed for rioting in
Bradford last summer were "maniacs" who were "whining" about their sentences after they "burnt down their own businesses", "at last the courts are handing
out sentences that are a genuine reprisal" Mr Blunkett then went on to attack campaigners who are opposing the harsh sentences saying, "For every sentence, for every tough new law, for every sensible measure, there's some bleeding
heart liberals who are there wanting to get them off, get them out and reduce their sentence."
His comments will not only prejudice ongoing trials possibly resulting in even harsher sentences but were also laced with prejudice. Starting at 12 noon, campaigners and families of the victims will protest at the ignorant attitude of the authorities and present a petition with over 3000 local signatures.
The families have requested that all civil rights organisations and good-intentioned people attend to support their campaign for justice.
Those sentanced were given far harsher sentances than those found guilty of similiar offences during a riot on a Bradford council estste around the same time. The difference? The riot in Manningham was by Asian youth angered by fascist activity on the streets of this largely Asian community, met by indifferent policing.
A public meeting at 3pm will follow.
The full details of the actions are:
12 noon to 2pm: Tuesday 17th September
Picket of the Home Secretary
Home Office,
50 Queen Annes Gate
London SW1
(nearest tube St James)
3pm to 4.30pm:
Public Rally
The Emmanuel Centre,
Marsham Street
London Sw1
(nearest tube St James)
With Bradford Families, Imran Khan, Lord Ouseley and others
Please note: both events are walking distance from each other
Organised by:
The Fair Justice Campaign Bradford
Supported by:
National Civil Rights Movement
Miscarriages of Justice UK (MOJUK)
For further information, press enquiries contact:
arun@irr.org.uk
Aki Nawaz 07971 206144
Suresh Grover 07958 174451
Miscarriages of JusticeUK (MOJUK)
Tele: 0121-554-6947 Fax: 0121-554-7891
mojuk@mojuk.org.uk
http://www.mojuk.org.uk
==================
Picket of the Home Secretary and Public Rally
Support the Bradford Campaigners
Tuesday 17th September 2002
A demonstration will be held outside the Home Office in response to the outrageous comments by David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, concerning the unjustified harsh sentencing in Bradford. He said "those jailed for rioting in
Bradford last summer were "maniacs" who were "whining" about their sentences after they "burnt down their own businesses", "at last the courts are handing
out sentences that are a genuine reprisal" Mr Blunkett then went on to attack campaigners who are opposing the harsh sentences saying, "For every sentence, for every tough new law, for every sensible measure, there's some bleeding
heart liberals who are there wanting to get them off, get them out and reduce their sentence."
His comments will not only prejudice ongoing trials possibly resulting in even harsher sentences but were also laced with prejudice. Starting at 12 noon, campaigners and families of the victims will protest at the ignorant attitude of the authorities and present a petition with over 3000 local signatures.
The families have requested that all civil rights organisations and good-intentioned people attend to support their campaign for justice.
Those sentanced were given far harsher sentances than those found guilty of similiar offences during a riot on a Bradford council estste around the same time. The difference? The riot in Manningham was by Asian youth angered by fascist activity on the streets of this largely Asian community, met by indifferent policing.
A public meeting at 3pm will follow.
The full details of the actions are:
12 noon to 2pm: Tuesday 17th September
Picket of the Home Secretary
Home Office,
50 Queen Annes Gate
London SW1
(nearest tube St James)
3pm to 4.30pm:
Public Rally
The Emmanuel Centre,
Marsham Street
London Sw1
(nearest tube St James)
With Bradford Families, Imran Khan, Lord Ouseley and others
Please note: both events are walking distance from each other
Organised by:
The Fair Justice Campaign Bradford
Supported by:
National Civil Rights Movement
Miscarriages of Justice UK (MOJUK)
For further information, press enquiries contact:
arun@irr.org.uk
Aki Nawaz 07971 206144
Suresh Grover 07958 174451
be there!
Comments
Hide the following 5 comments
For every 'bleeding heart liberal'...
14.09.2002 02:31
@lex
Lies again
14.09.2002 18:40
Most people in Bradford (including asians) think the sentences should have been harsher, only relatives seem to think they were harsh.
There was no riot on a Bradford council estate.
A riot and a disturbance are not the same.
The rioters targeted only non muslim businesses.
They tried (once again) to murder non muslims by barricading them into a club and setting it on fire.
They are the real racist thugs.
This tiny minority has made Bradford just about the worst City in the UK to live in.
Statistics proove this.
If you Bleeding heart anarchists dont beleive this please, please come and live here, come and buy a house in a Muslim area, and bear witness to the truth.
Dont sit in your middle class homes in Kent and tell us what goes on in Bradford.
rik
Give over Rik
14.09.2002 22:00
Dont class all Bradford citizens with your level of prejudice
The use of police photography and video and its publication as 'Wanted' notices in the local press changed the nature of protest and resistance forever in this country
dh
more lies Rik?
15.09.2002 13:38
As it happens, I come from Halifax, which if you know it, has a large Asian community close to the Town centre around the Gibbet St/ Queens Rd area. Around a decade ago there was large BNP activity after a rising number of attacks by Asian youth on innocent whites. I personally, around time knew 3 people who had suffered beatings.
So why was this happening? It was due to years of 'Paki bashing'. Y'know Rik, white lads getting pissed up in town going up Gibbet St to a curry house abusing the waiters, smashing plates against the wall, doing a runner, getting into a taxi, then doing a runner again. The boys saw this and started literally to fight back, albeit in a completely wrong and mistaken way. But they had genuine anger. Why didn't cops protect their parents who suffered and took this routine abuse? Why didn't their parents react like the boys did? Why did the council do nothing? When Asians were re-housed in shitty white trash estates in north Halifax, why were they literally ran out of their homes?
I agree, there has been a lot of problems, misunderstandings and ill-feeling between the two communities; and it can be shit as a white person living an a largely Asian area, hence the white exodus from Queens Rd area. But the powers that be have done fuck all to solve them, when the people themselves cannot or will not until a riot or fash activity occurs. Then they then chuck a bit of money into the area, which only starts to heal wounds. And of course the fash like parasites they are, feed on racial unrest, hence the Bradford riot, Burnley, Oldham. Which are pretty similar towns to Halifax wouldn't you say Rik? (Bradford is similar to Halifax in it's Asian communities, perhaps with a bit more integration eh Rik?).
So why am I a bleeding-heart anarchist supporting 'Pakis' (Come on use the word, I know you want to) from Bradford, Rik? Its because the cops got a right trashing, far worse than their worst nightmare thus extremely harsh sentances were handed out, comparable to the 'disturbance' on the estate. Will this kind of 'justice' heal the wounds?
It's the cops the courts, the politicians that are the enemy of all of us. Its groups such as Asians that take it at the sharp end.
As I said in my original post, all progressive activists should be there.
be there!
the truth
15.09.2002 17:55
Dont excuse the recent rascist violence against whites, by comparing it to paki bashing 20 years ago, if you do, you're saying "rivers of blood" bound to happen, cycle of voilence never ending ?
Actually I think Bradford is unique in it's problems.
Yes the cops got a 'right trashing', but why. Had it been you or me rioting with a few hundred others, we would have been flattened in minutes. I've been there and seen it happen, they'd have charged us and beaten the shit out of us.
This riot was different the participants were not black or white nor were they in Halifax or London this is Bradford.
Where Pakis (Dont mind using the term)abide by different rules to the rest of us.
The police have always been shit scared (and still are) of being seen wading into them.
Therefore they invented this new tactic.
Let the rioters pick their targets do what they want, we will video and arrest them later.
They were allowed (even encouraged) to comit murder as well as the most blantant rascist attacks perpetrated in this country since the war.
I dont think the judge imposed the setences for the police but for the people of Bfd. who you surely must agree support the sentences wholeheartedly.
rik