Public Meeting Against Police Harassment Attacked by Local Community Centre
. | 23.09.2008 00:51 | Repression | Social Struggles
On Tuesday 23rd September at 7pm residents of the West End will be holding a public meeting to discuss concerns over the accountability of the police to the local community. A change of venue has been forced on the meeting by the cancellation of the original venue.
On Friday organisers were contacted by the venue, The Millin Centre on Ellsemere Rd, Benwell, to be told that their booking for the meeting had been cancelled on the decision of the management committee. Various reasons were given by a manager of the centre, including alleged complaints by local residents and the desire of the centre to maintain its good relationship with the police. Organisers were told that since the Chair of the Management Committee is now on holiday it would not be possible to appeal the decision until a week after the meeting.
One of the organisers said:
“We find this action by the Millen Centre and the denial of our right to appeal the decision totally unacceptable. The Millin Centre states as one of its objectives:
“‘To provide an opportunity for residents to raise issues of concern and take positive action.’
“By cancelling the room booking for this meeting the Millin Centre is actively opposing the efforts of local residents to raise issues of concern. In the last few months we have seen a big increase in police activity on the streets of the West End. Police propaganda is plastered around the West End justifying this as an effort to fight knife crime, but in reality it seems to amount to at times daily harassment of working class residents going about their lawful business. This meeting is about getting residents together so that we can hold the police to account.”
Speakers at the meeting will include:
Barbara Yousuf-Porter- speaking on her fight against police racism and their handling of her son's murder in South Shields in 2006
Mark Moncada-from the Monument 4- speaking on day to day police harassment of working class people and activists, which has included the recent prosecution of four activists for accepting donations at a political street meeting
Dave Douglas, former NUM official- speaking on the role of the police in the 1984/85 miners’ strike
Mako Oumakani- speaking on her experiences of an immigration dawn raid and detention
Nathan Allonby- speaking about ID Cards and their implications for democratic rights
Family and friends of Hayley Adamson, killed in May by a police car speeding without lights or sirens, who have been campaigning for justice for Hayley, have also been invited to attend.
An alternative venue has been booked close to the Millin Centre, and people will be directed there from the Millin Centre from 6.30pm. The new venue is not being publicised in advance to avoid anyone attempting to pressure them to also cancel the room booking.
One of the organisers said:
“We find this action by the Millen Centre and the denial of our right to appeal the decision totally unacceptable. The Millin Centre states as one of its objectives:
“‘To provide an opportunity for residents to raise issues of concern and take positive action.’
“By cancelling the room booking for this meeting the Millin Centre is actively opposing the efforts of local residents to raise issues of concern. In the last few months we have seen a big increase in police activity on the streets of the West End. Police propaganda is plastered around the West End justifying this as an effort to fight knife crime, but in reality it seems to amount to at times daily harassment of working class residents going about their lawful business. This meeting is about getting residents together so that we can hold the police to account.”
Speakers at the meeting will include:
Barbara Yousuf-Porter- speaking on her fight against police racism and their handling of her son's murder in South Shields in 2006
Mark Moncada-from the Monument 4- speaking on day to day police harassment of working class people and activists, which has included the recent prosecution of four activists for accepting donations at a political street meeting
Dave Douglas, former NUM official- speaking on the role of the police in the 1984/85 miners’ strike
Mako Oumakani- speaking on her experiences of an immigration dawn raid and detention
Nathan Allonby- speaking about ID Cards and their implications for democratic rights
Family and friends of Hayley Adamson, killed in May by a police car speeding without lights or sirens, who have been campaigning for justice for Hayley, have also been invited to attend.
An alternative venue has been booked close to the Millin Centre, and people will be directed there from the Millin Centre from 6.30pm. The new venue is not being publicised in advance to avoid anyone attempting to pressure them to also cancel the room booking.
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Additions
Success
23.09.2008 12:30
we received a phonecall from the manager of the Millin Centre today to say that they have changed their decision and are allowing the meeting to use the room. The decision was made by the chief executive of the group the Millin Centre has merged into. Although we welcome the decision, the fact that it was made from Huddersfield for a centre in Newcastle raises some worrying questions about the impact of the increasing centralisation of the voluntary sector on any kind of accountability to local communities.
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