Pigs in UK and their inherent racism

[El Mono]

Police face racism scandal after black man records abuse



Listen to the recording here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/video/2012/...-black-man

Scotland Yard is facing a racism scandal after a black man used his mobile phone to record police officers subjecting him to a tirade of abuse in which he was told: "The problem with you is you will always be a nigger".

The recording, obtained by the Guardian, was made by the 21-year-old after he was stopped in his car, arrested and placed in a police van the day after last summer's riots.

The man, from Beckton, east London, said he was made to feel "like an animal" by police. He has also accused one officer of kneeling on his chest and strangling him.

In the recording, a police officer can be heard admitting he strangled the man because he was "a cunt". Moments later, another officer – identified by investigators as PC Alex MacFarlane – subjects the man to a succession of racist insults and adds: "You'll always have black skin. Don't hide behind your colour."

The Independent Police Complaints Commission referred the case to the Crown Prosecution Service on the basis that three officers, including MacFarlane, may have committed criminal offences.

The CPS initially decided no charges should be brought against any of the police officers. However on Thursday, the service said it would review the file after lawyers for the man threatened to challenge the decision in a high court judicial review. MacFarlane has been suspended.

The inquiry began after the victim handed his mobile phone to a custody desk in Forest Gate police station and told officers he had been abused.

Earlier, he had been driving through Beckton with a friend when he was stopped by a van containing eight police officers from Newham borough. London's streets were flooded with police who had been drafted in to contain the rioting.

The officers arrested the man on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs and told him he was being taken to a police station to be searched. After being taken into the van, the man was also arrested for missing a previous magistrates court appearance. No further action is to be taken in relation to the suspected driving offence.

It was once inside the van and handcuffed that the man said he was assaulted by police. He described having his head pushed against the van window and said one officer placed his knees on his chest and began strangling him. "I couldn't breathe and I felt that I was going to die," he said.

The man said he decided to turn on the recording facility of his phone after MacFarlane allegedly made sexually explicit references about his mother and telling him he would be "dead in five years".

In the recording, the man sounds agitated; he raises his voice to complain about his treatment and in places insults the arresting officers. The verbal exchange lasts several minutes.

When the man tells an officer: "you tried to strangle me", the officer replies: "No, I did strangle you." The officer adds that he strangled him "'cos you're a cunt" and that the man had been "kicking out". In relation to the strangling, the officer says: "Stopped you though, didn't it?"

Minutes later MacFarlane, who is white, begins abusing the man. After a period of silence, he can be heard telling him: "The problem with you is you will always be a nigger, yeah? That's your problem, yeah."

The man reads out MacFarlane's badge number and complains that he had subjected him to racist comments: "I'll always be a nigger – that's what you said, yeah?"

MacFarlane replies: "You'll always have black skin colour. Don't hide behind your colour, yeah." He adds: "Be proud. Be proud of who you are, yeah. Don't hide behind your black skin."

Shortly before the recording ends, the man can be heard saying: "I get this all the time." He then tells the officer: "We'll definitely speak again about this … It's gonna go all the way, it's gonna go all the way – remember."

The man's lawyer, Michael Oswald, said: "By his own efforts our client has put before the CPS exceptionally strong evidence and we share his astonishment that the CPS have reached a decision that no police officer should be prosecuted on the basis of that evidence. We do welcome their agreement to review that decision and we now await the outcome of that review."

The CPS initially said charges should not be brought against MacFarlane because the remarks did not cause the man harassment, distress or alarm.

Grace Ononiwu, deputy chief crown prosecutor for CPS London, said: "Lawyers for [the complainant] have written to the CPS and asked us to review our decision. I have considered the matter personally and directed that all the evidence should be reconsidered and a fresh decision taken by a senior lawyer with no previous involvement in this matter."

Speaking to the Guardian, the 21-year-old was visibly shaken when recounting the ordeal. "It's hard to explain, but it makes you feel like a piece of shit – it makes you feel not even human," he said.

"I was glad that I had it on the recording. I knew that if I had it saved I could show that I had been abused.

"It's not right. We've just got different skin colour – underneath it we're all the same."

The Metropolitan police confirmed in a statement that it received a complaint on 11 August about alleged "racial" remarks and oppressive conduct.

"These are serious allegations; any use of racist language or excessive use of force is not acceptable."

The force said it had referred the case to the IPCC and that one officer had been suspended.

MacFarlane's solicitor, Colin Reynolds, said: "The officer has been the subject of an investigation, has co-operated in that and been advised he is not to be the subject of criminal proceedings."

Estelle du Boulay, director of the Newham Monitoring Project, said: "Sadly, the shocking treatment of this young man at the hands of police officers – both the physical brutality he describes and the racial abuse he claims he suffered – are by no means unusual; it compares to other reports we have received. What makes this case different is the victim had the foresight and courage to turn on a recording device on his mobile phone."

She compared the incident to the case of Liam Stacey, a student who was jailed for 56 days for posting offensive comments on Twitter after the on-pitch collapse of the Bolton Wanderers footballer Fabrice Muamba.

On Friday Swansea crown court rejected an appeal from Stacey, who used racist terms against other Twitter users.

When the student was sentenced in a magistrates court on Tuesday a senior lawyer at the CPS, Jim Brisbane, said: "Racist language is inappropriate in any setting and through any media. We hope this case will serve as a warning to anyone who may think that comments made online are somehow beyond the law."

[1871]

Yet another criminally pathetic decision by the CPS. Its on tape and yet the guy isnt immediately prosecuted. Disgusting.

Dont forget to keep an eye on this;

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/oct/17...linson-g20

[El Mono]

Also remember:

333 deaths in custody since 1998, no pigs convicted.

If they can kill us and get away with it, they'll racially abuse those of an ethnic background and get away with it too.

[shakur420]

Wait a second. While strangling a black kid in the back of a paddy wagon, you call him a nigger and that's not causing any "harassment, distress or alarm" but when someone talks about how Israel should be "wiped off the map", it's time for WWIII? Do these people ever listen to themselves speak? Ever?

[Joe M]

PSNI officers suspended in racist and sectarian text messages inquiry
Four police officers have been suspended in Northern Ireland following an investigation into alleged racist and sectarian text messages.

The officers were suspended from duty on Thursday as part of an internal investigation.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland said the issues were identified "through internal PSNI mechanisms and will be robustly investigated". It is believed the texts were found during another internal investigation.

A police spokeswoman said it was not linked to the suspensions of eight Metropolitan Police officers and a civilian staff member as part of an investigation into complaints of racism. It is understood the text messages are of such an offensive nature that it is possible the four officers could lose their jobs.

Misconduct hearings
The officers at the centre of the inquiry work in various areas throughout the PSNI and are not senior members of staff.
Deputy Chief Constable Judith Gillespie said the police's professional standards department would be conducting a robust investigation.

"It is absolutely unacceptable for officers to engage in racist and sectarian language, and far less to exchange that in the form of texts to each other," she told a news conference.

"The message is loud and clear, that racist and sectarian behaviour on the part of police officers is absolutely not tolerated by the Police Service of Northern Ireland." She said she did not want to prejudge the outcome of misconduct hearings, but the allegations were very serious.

"I have to say I'm very proud to be the deputy chief constable - we have a very proud record of service - but in terms of the context of these four officers' behaviour, this is not my proudest day," she said.

"We have had previous investigations involving officers who used racist texts and they were dealt with very seriously, but this is the first time I can recall that we've suspended four officers. "I would be confident that if you had access to any of these texts, you would find them deeply offensive."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-17637450

[1871]

Its strange, (but perhaps not so) that after the peace process, the incidents of racist attacks and domestic violence shot up in the north.

On this side of 'the border' there are unfortunately similar incidents. They need to get out the bad apples and change attitudes for sure.

Gardaí accused of racial discrimination

By Scott Millar

Monday, January 11, 2010

GARDAÍ have been accused of racial discrimination following the release of EU research which found Sub-Saharan Africans are twice as likely to be subjected to police stops than other members of the public.

The European Union Minorities and Discrimination Survey found in a 12-month period 59% of Africans surveyed had been stopped at least once by gardaí. One in three eastern Europeans were stopped at least once in the same period. More than 1,000 Sub-Saharan Africans and eastern Europeans were surveyed.

The stop rate for Sub-Saharan Africans in Ireland was the highest for any ethnic minority surveyed in any of the 27 EU member states. Only members of the Roma in Greece experienced similarly high levels of police stops, with 56% stopped at least once in the pervious 12 months.

Claire McCarthy, policy officer with the Cork-based Nasc Irish Immigrant Support Centre, said her organisation was concerned that gardaí were instigating a policy of "ethnic profiling."

"There is a feeling on the ground that there has been ethnic profiling by the gardaí. I think if you’re black and you live in Ireland you have a much, much higher chance of being stopped by gardaí."

"The EU report goes a long way to proving such an approach by the gardaí is a reality."

The report, published last month and based on a survey carried out in 2008, warns that "even where perceptions of (racial) profiling cannot be proven, the fact that significant numbers of minorities believe they are victims of profiling is evidence that work needs to be done to improve police relations and interaction with minority communities."

Anti-profiling measures are an integral part of the training of the Garda Síochána’s over 600 ethnic liaison officers. Sergeant David McInerney of the Garda Racial and Intercultural Office said he was concerned by the survey findings as "anti-profiling measures are a key focus for us.

"If a member stops somebody without reasonable grounds to believe they have committed an offence there is something wrong and we won’t tolerate it. That we are working with, and must cater for the needs, of a rapidly changing population is something we are very aware of that."

The editor of multicultural weekly newspaper Metro Eireann’s, Chinedu Onyejelem, said the perception that gardaí were employing racial profiling was resulting in growing anger and resentment in the Irish black community.

"People are angry, and if that continues it could lead to massive protests and there is the unfortunate possibility there could be violence – it’s an accident waiting to happen."Read more: http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/gar...z1rSk68kWu