The Justice for Nuur Saeed have called a picket of Plumstead Police Station, South East London, to protest at the silence surrounding the tragic and suspicious death of 22 year old Somali man Nuur Saeed as a result of a police operation.

Saeed’s death takes place against a backdrop of rising harassment of the Somali community at the hands of Woolwich Police. Saeed’s death also follows the violent death in custody of Paul Coker, who died on the floor of a cell in Plumstead Police Station after being arrested by 15 police officers in his flat last August.

The Nuur campaign held a 600 strong demonstration on 4th February that successfully mobilised the Somali community and beyond. They handed in a letter to the local police commander demanding that the police officers involved in the action that led to Nuur’s violent death be suspended. They also demanded that the police stop hiding behind the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) investigation and release to the Nuur family details of exactly what happened.

The Nuur family are also demanding of the IPCC that they stop stonewalling and begin to answer basic questions about the events surrounding Nuur’s death. The IPPC seem more interested in protecting the police than meeting the needs of a family who have lost a son and a brother.

Surely the Nuur family have a right to know how and why their innocent son died and to expect that those responsible are brought to justice?

The Justice for Nuur Campaign are demanding that:

- There is a truly independent inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Nuur’s death to establish the exact events of 10th January

- That there is no police or IPPC cover-up

- That the police officers involved are immediately suspended from duty, and not allowed to go “back on the streets” policing our community

- That Woolwich Police halt their racist vendetta towards the Somali community

- There is an immediate and independent investigation into Woolwich Police’s harassment of young men, especially those of the Somali community

The family and friends of Nuur Saeed have put out a call across all communities to join them in a peaceful picket of Plumstead Police Station, Plumstead High Street, on Saturday 1st April at 1.30pm to protest at the death of Nuur and to demand justice.

Editors Notes: The community in Woolwich are convinced that local police are out of control and that Somali youth are being singled out for “special treatment”.

It is widely held that officers are engaged in a racist vendetta after two of the suspects allegedly involved in the shooting of WPC Sharon Beshenivsky in Bradford were two Somali men who have prior links to Woolwich. Young Somali’s report that police are openly boasting they are out for “revenge”.

The police say that Nuur was in a house where they executed a search warrant in Plumstead on Tuesday 10th January. The police say he fell from a second floor balcony. They say they found him on the pavement. He was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich, later transferred to Kings College Hospital where he died of complications arising from massive brain injury on Tuesday 24th January 2006

The family are being advised by solicitor Jane Deighton, who represented Duwayne Brooks during the Stephen Lawrence inquiry into the investigation carried out by Greenwich Police – the same police force implicated in Nuur’s death.