RELATIVES and friends of young Brazilian man Jean Charles de Menezes went to Stockwell Tube station yesterday, to hold a vigil at the scene of his shooting by armed police two years ago on July 22, 2005.
Grief stricken cousins of Jean Charles laid flowers at a shrine outside the station, and then vowed that they would not go away until they get justice for him.
Patricia Armani da Silva said: ‘I came here to remember my cousin.
‘At the moment it is very difficult for us and at this moment nothing has been done for justice for Jean.
‘It is two years since his death and up to now we still haven’t had any consideration and everything we try, we get nothing.’
Alex Pereira said ‘we will be here every single year’ until there is justice for his cousin.
‘We are not going to leave this place until we get justice,’ he told reporters.
He spoke about ‘the lies that were told’ and said that ‘up to now they have prevented us from seeing the IPCC report.’
He added: ‘They say they are trying to make the country safe. How can they make the country safe if they don’t say the truth to people?
‘They said lies about Jean to make it look like he was a terrorist.
‘With Jean’s killers still there, no one is safe.’
Alex Pereira went on to tell reporters: ‘We were treated like we were criminals and the police were the good guys.
‘If the police were doing their job, they would come out and tell the truth.
‘All we know is someone held his arms and they shot him.
‘We don’t know anything more than that.
‘He was very calm that day.’
He said that all those who helped expose the truth that Jean Charles was not acting suspiciously, like the member of the IPCC and the ITN reporter who revealed that Jean Charles hadn’t been running from the police and didn’t jump the barriers at Stockwell tube, were treated badly.
‘Now the police are going to court for a useless judgement,’ he added, referring to the Health and Safety Act prosecution of the Metropolitan Police.
‘It’s the individuals who should go to court.
‘We want to prove the truth that there is a crime here.’
The Justice for Jean campaign spokesman added: ‘All the things that we were told were absolute truths on the day have proved to be incorrect.
‘We are asking for the evidence to be tested in a court of law.’
Alex Pereira said: ‘Ian Blair had the control.
‘The IPCC should have been here soon after the shooting.
‘The IPCC didn’t have control and for four days he didn’t hand the IPCC the investigation.
‘We want to prove who told the lies because we know it came from the police.
‘When the truth came out, everything started to change.’
The Justice for Jean spokesman repeated that: ‘On Monday at Conway Hall the campaign is going to be holding a rally where it will be talking about the next steps.’
Mohammed Abdul Kahar – who was shot by police during the massive police raid in Forest Gate in June last year, and his brother Abul Koyair, who was arrested with him before both were released without charge – joined yesterday’s vigil.
Mohammed Abdul Kahar said: ‘We’re saddened by the loss the Menezes family has suffered.
‘Two years on no police or higher people have been held accountable for it and I feel very sad for what the family has suffered because equally my family has been through the same as well.
‘I hope the Menezes family get some kind of justice.’
