Thousands protest in London over deaths in police custody
- Text by Ben Smoke
- Photography by Aiyush Pachnanda
This weekend thousands gathered in Central London to march in solidarity with grieving families whose loved ones have died in police custody or following contact with the police.
The annual march, which started in Trafalgar Square, was organised by the United Families & Friends Campaign (UFFC). The group was established in 1997 as a network of Black families, but more recently expanded to include families, of those who have died at the hands of the police.
Relatives of those who have died delivered a signed letter to Downing Street demanding an urgent meeting with prime minister Rishi Sunak. Among them were the relatives of Chris Kaba, who was shot dead by Metropolitan Police officers in September, were in attendance, with Kaba’s mother and cousin both delivering speeches to the crowds. An IOPC investigation into the killing is ongoing.
Also joining crowds were family members or Oladeji Omishore, who died this year following an incident where he was tased by police on Chelsea bridge. Marcia Rigg, an organiser at UFFC – whose brother Sean Rigg died in police custody at Brixton police station in 2008 – was also present. The families are calling for changes to the judicial process following deaths in police custody or following contact with the police.
After the letter was delivered crowds walked to Parliament street where they were addressed by family members. Thousands in attended chanted “police are the murderers” as well as holding signs and placards demanding justice. Photographer Aiyush Pachnanda was there to capture the march.
Follow Aiyush Pachnanda on Instagram.
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
You might like
A major Nan Goldin exhibition is coming to London
You Never Did Anything Wrong — Opening at the Hayward Gallery in November, the show will debut a new film from the artist and activist, alongside a slate of recent work.
Written by: Jack Dennison-Thompson
Tender portraits of women serving life sentences in America
Looking Inside — While working as a public defender attorney in New York State, Sara Bennett found dilapidated prisons and forgotten people. Her new photobook harnesses the power of images and shines a humanising light on those imprisoned for serious crimes and their reintegration into society, while asking questions of the USA’s incarceration system.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Activists replace Union Jacks with ‘Tax The Rich’ flags in Farage’s Clacton
Take Back Power — It comes after the Reform UK leader resigned as an MP and triggered a by-election in the constituency, following scrutiny over a £5 million donation that he had not declared.
Written by: Ella Glossop
Tish Murtha’s searing documentation of broken Britain
Vandalism on a Grand Scale — Capturing youth unemployment and poverty in north-east England during the ’80s, the photographer never lived to see her work published. A new photobook by British Culture Archive brings her eye-opening work to light.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Joe James: “I will never be absent in my children’s lives because I know it doesn’t feel nice”
Hard Feelings — As the silky MC prepares to release his debut album ‘The Ends Never Ends’, he joins our column on fatherhood and masculinity to discuss leaving his childhood home at 16, the manosphere and his risk-embracing approach to life.
Written by: Robert Kazandjian
Sepia splashed memories of Britain’s ’90s squatting and free party scene
Bygones — Moving into a Hackney squat at the age of 19, Tom Hunter spent years living on London’s edges, while documenting the vibrant, creative community and culture that it enabled. Huck’s art director Sam White chats to him about the freedom that existed, the collectivism and what’s been lost over the decades since.
Written by: Samuel White
