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Marie Vesco RIP

UK IMC | 08.06.2008 18:24 | Smash EDO | London

Marie Vesco was killed by a car on Wednesday 4th June while cycling to Brighton. Active in various London social centres, Whitechapel and Brixton Food Not Bombs, she now had plans to open a new social centre.

Marie was part of a group of twelve cyclists who left Brixton in the early hours of the morning to join the Smash EDO demo. They were on the A23 by Burgess Hill when an impatient gas guzzling imbecile swerved across two lanes straight into Marie, then another car hit her. She died instantly, there was nothing her friends could have done. The driver of the second car got straight on his phone as soon as he came to a halt - not for an ambulance but to call his lawyer. He then started pushing Marie's mates around. One driver has been arrested.

Newswire: Marie Vesco RIP | Smash EDO Press Release - Death of Marie Vesco



Marie was just a few days away from her 20th birthday, and a massively popular figure on the London activist scene. She was a warm, loud, fun, vivacious figure with an infectious laugh that was always ready to help others. Until recently she lived at the Rampart2 social centre, where she was always on hand help with skipping for food, cooking and helping out.

Part of the Food Not Bombs group, just the day before she died, they'd been outside McDonalds in Brixton with a sound system and a load of free vegan burgers for the Climate Day of Action. She had plans to start a social centre of her own.

When the news of her death was broken to the crowd that had just escaped the clutches of the police on Brighton's Level there was a minute's silence for her.

Her friends, as well as the wider activist community, are devastated by the news of her death. She had done so much for other people in her life in such a small time, we will never know what else she could have achieved. Her friends have said that they take some consolation in the knowing that her life will inspire them and others to carry on the causes that she left behind.

UK IMC

Additions

driver and lawyer

09.06.2008 00:02

just for the record, the guy who called his lawyer was not the driver but the passenger. A woman, possibly his wife, was the driver and she remained in the car until the police came. Why she was not arrested for dangerous driving is yet unknown.
In many other countries drivers-to-be have to pass a First Aid course before being eligible to enter the driving test. Taking that obligatory minimum of skill and awareness into account most of these countries also have the criminal offence of Omitting Necessary Aid. If you could have helped and you chose not to you are breaking the law. Calling the lawyer before the ambulance would be a ticket to prison.

another friend


weblinks to discussion on the web

09.06.2008 01:30

The Argus, local paper of Brighton and Hove reported on the 'accident'. Apart from the locals and car loonies many of her friends and family posted comments:
 http://www.theargus.co.uk/mostpopular.var.2319435.mostcommented.fatal_crash_closes_a23.php
 http://www.theargus.co.uk/mostpopular.var.2322547.0.student_dies_on_way_to_protest_rally.php?s=s

rampart person


Dedication to Maria

10.06.2008 00:48


The cafe at the rampART 4th anniversary event last friday was dedicated to Maria who spent many a saturday morning in the rampART kitchen helping to prepare free meals for distribution by Food Not Bombs in nearby Whitechapel.

She always managed to look so glamorous, even when up to her elbows in potato peelings. I'll miss her.

parted


Comments

Hide the following 2 comments

God rest her soul

11.06.2008 00:27

We always call funerals a 'celebration of the life of' in our neck of the woods.

This sounds like a life worth celebrating, and I hope the family will feel some comfort by that.

Legal implications of this case are something I'm sure people in London can deal with.

R.I.P.

N.B.D. (Never back down)

Eyes Higher


Info on the inquest

15.11.2009 13:55

Here is the link for the CTC discussion of Marie's inquest
and its shameful result.

 http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=21840

jon Active