Former Brent Councillor Graham Durham arrested at free speech on Palestine demonstration

 

Former Brent councillor, 71 year old grandfather Graham Durham was arrested by police at Saturday's demonstration for free speech on Palestine.

Durham told Wembley Matters, ' I was released at 4.45 am in Ilford after being held for 12 hours, double handcuffed, carried and dumped in a van and driven to Ilford cop shop .'

On Facebook Graham posted:

I just want to pay tribute to the magnificent organisers and volunteers of Defend Our Juries.

 

The support and guidance of the video briefings before yesterday’s Palestine Actiion event were fantastic. At 4am ( twelve hours after my arrest ) the police let me telephone the designated solicitor firm, there I received clear and helpful advice from a solicitor who could be at home in bed.

 

 Emerging from a police cell at 4.45am into a dark backstreet of Ilford ( 18 miles from home with no public transport), I and others were met with a group of DOJ volunteers with tea, coffee , food and offers of accommodation and help with taxis etc. This was repeated at 18 police stations and custody centres for many many hours.

 

To emerge bruised and for many brave arrestees frightened to see the Palestinian flag flying was magical.

 

Solidarity as it should be .. well done everyone

 

 

Vigil in Harlesden over police 'over-reaction' during arrest of young black man

The West London Stand up to Racism and Brent Trades Council have called a vigil on Tuesday 9th October 6.00pm in Craven Park Road NW10 8Sh near the New Atlas Cafe following the arrest of a young man which involved six officers restraining him and the use of pepper spray to the outrage of passers by. Bystanders tried to intervene to stop the police from over reacting and there is a feeling of outrage that this could happen in Harlesden.

BrentARC steps up rights campaign over Operation Skybreaker

Brent is one of five London boroughs to be chosen as the target for Operation Skybreaker. This follows targeting of the borough by racist organisations such as the BNP, Britain First and the South East Alliance and by the UK Border Agency and Home Office through the racist van and raids on tube stations.

Today the Brent Against Racism Campaign (BrentARC) will be in Wembley Central  distributing the leaflets below informing the public and businesses about their rights regarding Operation Skybreaker.

The leaflet below is particularly aimed at small business owners:

Democratic deficit necessitates peaceful direct action says Lucas after her fracking arrest

After her arrest today at Balcombe anti-fracking protest, Caroline Lucas MP said:

“Along with everyone else who took action today, I’m trying to stop a process which could cause enormous damage for decades to come. The evidence is clear that fracking undermines efforts to tackle the climate crisis and poses potential risks to the local environment.

 “People today, myself included, took peaceful non-violent direct action only after exhausting every other means of protest available to us.  I’m in the privileged position of being able to put questions to the Government directly and arrange debates in Parliament, but still ministers have refused to listen.

“Despite the opposition to fracking being abundantly clear, the Government has completely ignored the views of those they are supposed to represent.  When the democratic deficit is so enormous, people are left with very little option but to take peaceful, non-violent direct action.”

Thanks to Steve Hynd for this statement which appears on his blog LINK

Twitter's creative response to 'racist van' update

The 'racist van' has spawned some creative responses on Twitter:

Historical precedent