OVER 1,500 people on Saturday took part in the United Families and Friends Campaign 13th annual procession in central London against deaths in custody.
The bereaved families and friends and their supporters walked silently from Trafalgar Square to Downing Street.
They held a rally in Whitehall before attempting to hand in a letter addressed to prime minister Cameron.
To chants of ‘No justice, no peace!’ Marcia Rigg-Samuel, the sister of Sean Rigg who died at Brixton police station, said: ‘Today is our 13th march.
‘Families are feeling the pain. Let our loved ones rest in peace.
‘Thank you for your support in our relentless fight for justice.’
Carol Duggan, the aunt of Tottenham man Mark Duggan, said: ‘I’m here representing not just Mark Duggan but all who died in police custody.
‘We’re going to be here year after year until we get justice for all the families.
‘This is about class, not race. We are being trodden down because we are working class.
‘Our children are dying because they are working class.’
Someone shouted out: ‘The biggest street gang are the police.’
Samantha Rigg-David said: ‘The IPCC lied, that’s why we have to take to the streets.
‘My brother Sean died on a hard floor.
‘They are trying to suppress that information.
‘The police need to be accountable for these killings.’
Jossette Fraser, the mother of Demetre Fraser, told the crowd: ‘Police who killed our children are still walking the streets.
‘We need to stand together as one. This needs to stop.’
Roy Jarrett said: ‘All of us are here because our loved ones are murdered.
‘We do not have the money to take out a private prosecution.
‘They killed my mother Cynthia Jarrett.’
Addressing the police, he added: ‘We will get justice for what you do.
‘You beat, mutilate, you think you will still get away with it.
‘We shall rise. You should know your system will fail. We need a change.’
Merlin Emmanuel declared: ‘I am the nephew of Smiley Culture who died in the most peculiar circumstances.’
He added: ‘We are fighting for basic democracy.
‘There are many officers who do serve and protect.
‘It is the police’s duty to expose those who don’t.
‘We need to make a pledge to ourselves, we will never stand down until we see a marked change.’
Rupert Sylvester, the father of Roger Sylvester, asked the crowd: ‘Who are the police supposed to protect, you and me? No, they are there to protect the establishment.
‘Police officers choked my son to death.
‘We have a struggle on our hands. We have to keep fighting.’
Vivian de Menezes, the cousin of Jean Charles de Menezes, said: ‘How many loved ones have died at the hands of the police?
‘It makes me very sad. It should stop.
‘The police are there to protect the public, not kill people.
‘You have to carry on but it is very hard.
‘When they kill somebody there is a lot of cover-up.’
News Line spoke to several participants before and during the procession.
Risiah Whyte from the Justice for Smiley Culture campaign said: ‘We need to have accountability.
‘When deaths in custody happen, police have to be made accountable.
‘Every person who is able to understand the trauma that families go through should all be out here.
‘Because it could happen to any one of us.
‘It nearly happened to me last Christmas.
‘I was sitting in my car reading my text messages and it ended up by me being jumped on by about six officers.
‘The police had pulled up and demanded to know what I was doing and to get into my car.
‘When I refused, they jumped me.
‘They had me on the floor. I nearly passed out and thought I was going to die that day.
‘They put me in a van, handcuffed, and charged me with assaulting police and obstruction of a drugs search.
‘CCTV showed something very different. When it got to court for the third time, the police offered no evidence and the judge returned a verdict of not guilty.’
Samantha Rigg-David told News Line: ‘My brother Sean died three years ago and we are still waiting for an inquest.
‘It would have been four years of prolonged grief and agony to get answers.
‘Many families find themselves in this situation, so we are here today to challenge the government.
‘This is about rallying people and giving us the justice we deserve.
‘The trade unions must support us.’
Sean’s brother Wayne Rigg added: ‘We’re here to call on the authorities to finally engage with us in some meaningful dialogue so that we may finally put this shameful episode behind us.
‘I want to get to a time when I can look at a police officer and not feel disdain for them.
‘People are struggling these days to make ends meet, even if they are working.
‘There has to be some hope for people. That’s why we have to take action.’
Film maker Wade Jacks said: ‘I was shocked to find out that every week two people were basically killed by police.
‘This government are just a sham, they are for the big corporations.
‘This “I’m alright Jack” world can’t go on.
‘We have to take responsibility and do something ourselves.’
The sister of James McPherson, Samantha Patterson said: ‘Jason died in 2007.
‘He was arrested in Notting Hill and taken back to the police station where they conducted a search on him.
‘They suspected he had drugs in his mouth.’
She alleged: ‘They don’t have a way of taking drugs out of his mouth, so twelve officers jumped on him, kicked him and punched him until he had a fit.
‘And he died in the police station.
‘The amount of people here today shows how many loved ones they are killing, something needs to change.
‘We need to break up this state and have a state for the workers, not the rich.’
Jossette Fraser said: ‘My son, Demetre Fraser, was only 21 years old.
‘He got sent to Birmingham on bail on a petty charge and was on a tag.
‘Bournville Road police station said they went to do a routine tag check.
‘They said they knocked on his front door and heard him jump from the eleventh floor of a high rise.
‘He had a lot of injuries and died about six hours later in theatre after losing a lot of blood.
‘Nobody who fell from the eleventh floor would have survived without a mark on his face.
‘We know it’s a police cover-up.
‘Witnesses said they heard a struggle and the smashing of glass.
‘Witnesses said they saw a lot of police officers, but now a lot of these witnesses will not come forward.
‘The IPCC are now closing their investigation. If they are going to close theirs, we are going to open ours.’
Patricia Coker told News Line: ‘It’s six years now since my son Paul died in Plumstead police station in 2005.
‘Thirteen police officers came in and restrained him in his girlfriend’s flat, although he wasn’t being violent.
‘The landlord wanted him to go for some reason and the police were called.
‘When the police arrived he was heard shouting “you’re killing me, you’re killing me” during the struggle with the police.
‘He became a medical emergency but instead of taking him to hospital, they took him to Plumstead police station, treated him in a most appalling way and left him to die.’
She added: ‘The state pays lip service to coroners’ recommendations. Nothing is really improving.
‘Police say their training is getting better. Why then are they still taking actions against
predominately young black people and killing them?
‘The police think they are above the law.’
Joan Meredith was carrying a banner in memory of Sarah Campbell and was a friend of Sarah’s mother Pauline Campbell.
Joan said: ‘I moved to Pauline’s village and that’s when the campaign really started.
‘Pauline was fed up with getting nowhere and we decided on direct action.
‘I was with her on lots of demonstrations outside prisons.
‘She didn’t get enough response from the government and the people at the top.
‘I blame them for Pauline’s death, especially the Home Office.
‘They never give an inch, these people with the power.
‘The unions should take action. We need a general strike to bring the government down, the sooner the better.
‘It’s disgraceful the way they’re treating young people in prison.’
