Lambeth community gathered last night to vent their outrage at the scrapping of the post of 'commander' in Brixton Met. John Stevens, Commander in chief was described as sticking two fingers up to the people of Brixton.
As accusations levelled at Brian Paddick have been dropped, former commander of Brixton Police finds he has no job to go back to.
Members of Lambeth's multicultural community met at the Fridge nightclub in Brixton last night to examine exactly what message was being put out to them.
As a result of the media 'free-for-all' led by the Daily Mail, with it's dubious attacks aginst our highest-ranking openly gay police officer, Brian Paddick had been accused of such diabolical misdeeds as being in the presence of cannabis smokers and openly sympathising with 'anarchists'.
Brixton's champion of more accountable, 'human' policing methods since the 80's was forced to step down from his post earlier this year.
This public meeting followed the gathering in March at Lambeth Town Hall where, amongst others, local black pastors and the Rabbi of Lambeth voiced their support for Paddick.
Last night the Rabbi himself took the mircophone to tell us that following his last public talk, he and other preachers had been hounded bt the press in an attempt to dig 'dirty stories' to discredit their reputation. He spoke out again against the fairy-tale accusation of sympathising with 'anarchists'.
He went on to suggest that any public servant or young person aspiring to a career in the public services should be forewarned: The current political climate was hostile to honesty and integrity in the public services to the point that 2002 had come to ressemble 1902, where anarchists could be shot.
He mused over what might come next. Accusations of piracy, necromany,alchemy or heresy!
He went on to encourage prominent members of the community to sell their own stories to the press, hence 'cutting out the middleman'.