Fighting the Nazi Threat Today

The legacy of Stephen Lawrence

Racism and the British police

BLACK teenager Stephen Lawrence was viciously stabbed in a brutal racist murder in South East London on 22 April 1993. In spite of the public outcry at this murder in an area where there had already been three racist murders the police failed to convict his murderers. Stephen’s parents, Neville and Doreen, launched a courageous campaign to bring the killers to justice which also exposed the racism, incompetence and corruption of the Metropolitan Police. All across Britain people have been inspired by their fight and refusal to back down. In 1998 the family appealed to Jack Straw, Home Secretary, who ordered a public inquiry into the murder and its policing. British police had not faced such criticism since the Scarman report into the 1981 Brixton riots. The inquiry revealed a shocking level of institutionalised racism in the British police. Since Stephen’s murder two more deaths of young black men have shown that police racism continues, those of Ricky Reel and Michael Menson. In both cases the police have again failed to make arrests or secure convictions and deny that the murders were racist. Michael Menson told eight witnesses he had been attacked by four white youths, yet the police did not take a statement from him before he died and then claimed he had set fire to his own back.

There have been eight racist murders in Britain in the last two years and racist incidents were up by 6 percent in 1998. Yet murderers of black people are less likely to be caught. This is because the police are more likely to assume that black people are criminals rather than the victims of crime. The independent watchdog Statewatch showed that black people are up to eight times more likely to be stopped and searched than white people. The Home Office report published on 8 December 1998 showed that black people were less likely to be cautioned and more likely to be jailed, thus 12 percent of the prison population is black, but only 2 percent of the overall population.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Paul Condon clamed he wanted to build an anti-racist police force. But Condon launched Operation Eagle Eye in 1996 to target black youth and made the totally unfounded claim that ‘it is a fact that very many of the perpetrators of mugging are young black men’.

On average one person a week dies in police custody and again black people are over-represented

The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust was set up by Neville and Doreen Lawrence and can be contacted at: The Secretary, Stephen Lawrence Trust, 27 Britannia Street, London, WC1X 9JP, Tel: 0171 837 3636; Fax: 0171 963 4440

INQUIRY INTO THE MURDER OF STEPHEN LAWRENCE

In contrast the parents of Stephen were treated with racism and contempt by the police. Even during the inquiry police who claimed they had race awareness training continued to call black people ‘coloureds’ in spite of the offence this causes. This included Assistant Commissioner Ian Johnston, the second most senior police officer in London.

The third most senior officer in the Metropolitan Police tried to excuse the failure to arrest the killers because he didn’t know the law on the power of arrest.

One senior officer, retired and now a Tory councillor, was quoted in his local paper, the Croydon Advertiser, recommending that his officers take legal action against Neville Lawrence for causing them distress.

Finally the five killers were forced to give evidence to the inquiry. They swaggered into the building spitting and jeering at protesters. They refused to answer questions. Members of the public watched in horror as a video was shown of the five playing with machetes and talking about cutting up ‘niggers’. They still have not been brought to justice.

The police response to the inquiry can be seen by their press release on 17 September 1998 which claimed there was ‘no evidence of racism or corruption’ against the police. Paul Condon refused to admit to police racism or resign for the bungled murder investigation in spite of calls from the family.

The Police Complaints Authority (where the police investigate the police) cleared all the officers of racism but recommended charges of negligence against five senior officers. This would mean discipline though and not prosecution. Conveniently four senior officers had already taken early retirement and within days of this announcement the last serving officer, Bullock, announced his retirement. They can all live on pensions of around £25,000 a year.

The Anti Nazi League gave a written submission of evidence to the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry. This highlighted the amount of time, money and effort given by the police to protecting the Nazis and attacking and arresting anti-Nazis such as the demonstration in Welling. All too often the Nazis can march and hold meetings due to a huge police presence which protects them and criminalises the anti-Nazis. Copies of the submission are available on request from the ANL.