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| Lil Ras |
We had to go to Victoria and meet Julie Harper from Bournemouth (it’s somewhere far where she lives). Then we went to Brixton to listen to Merlin and Jody and I saw Samantha Riggs and her brother and sister they are really nice and the people want 21 grand from them to find out how Sean died!!! Wicked people dem! Afterwards Neatly Lox gave me Muma, Julie, Darren Roach and me a lift home we got stuck in a big traffic jam and I fell asleep!! My big brother Da Jour gave Darren his room and Julie slept in shay shays bunk bed!!
Muma woke me up early and we got ready to go to Birmingham, Neatly Lox came to pick us up and we played tunes in the car all the way there! When we got there Muma thought she was going to wet herself so we had to find a toilet!!! There was lots of police when we came off the big road (motorway). then we found the start of the march and there was just Maxie Hayles and a man called Charlie but lots of police again they tried to smile with me and Muma but Muma took me away from them and we sorted out the stewards uniforms!
Then a man who can’t walk much came in his car and said he was going to follow the march in his car I thought that was nice of him cos he coulda just stayed at home cos he is poorly! Then the coach from London came and we helped a lady put banners together I was pleased because Sean Riggs family came and I saw Merlin again!
When we started marching Darren got a big banner with " united families against deaths in custody " on it and Darren Muma Julie neatly donna and Lindsay and me all carried it I had my picture of Sean Riggs and Julian Webster as well and I tried to hold them up as well but sometimes it got hard to hold them all so Muma helped me.
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| Lil Ras can be just seen over the banner in the red, gold & green hat |
When we were marching I saw a Rasta brother an said "come walk wid we" but he turned his back I think a lot of people are turning their back because they are scared! We stopped at Mary Seacole and had a silence for Kingsley it made me sad! And the policeman was staring at me so I cut my eye and stared back!!We got to a Sikh temple and the kind people gave us all a drink they were very kind and I know jah was smiling and so was Kingsley! Merlin asked me if I wanted something from the shop and I said no thank you in case they ask him for 21 grand for an inquest and he hasn’t got the pennies!!
When we got to the big police station Darren lead us to right outside and made us lift up the banner high!!! I had to stand on my tippy toes but it was too high so I just held the bottom of it and my picture of Sean Rigg!!! They played murderer and we jumped up and down singing it to I looked in the police man face and sung it loud think he was ashamed because he looked down!! Then all the people started shouting at the police and loads more came!!! Lee Jasper told us to move over the road I didn’t want to but Muma said we had to. Then we heard speeches from lots of people who had lost their family in police custody I cried a little bit when Marcia Riggs spoke and Demetres mum!!! Kingsley’s sister spoke really well and everybody cheered for her!!
There was a white lady and she had marched with us with her sons’ picture! Then the London people who came on the coach had to go and they booed the police as they got on the coach that made me laugh! One police man smiled at my mum but it wasn’t a nice smile and my Muma don’t play so she told him straight “don’t smile in my face and then come murder my son” I think she swore as well, that made me laugh as well!
There was a lady with a stick and Muma said the police hurt her I think she did good walking so far with us. I remember her from Smiley Culture’s march. Muma said bye to Linda Hughes and her people because they had a long way to go home as well. then we started walking back to the car but some people from Birmingham told us what bus to catch so half way there we got the bus the bus driver had let some people on for free because they had marched I thought that was kind !!
We went to a community hall and had food and drinks and the sound was playing it was nice but then it got late and Muma said we had to go home I was a bit sad! on Sunday Julie went home when my brother took her to the tube station cos Muma couldn’t take her because Neatly was coming for us to take us to High Wycombe for Paps Ullah Muma and Neatly nearly got lost but we found it and we met Ricky Bishops mum and Paps family . I handed out leaflets and Muma even gave one to a policeman! An old white man took one and said he was going to tell people about it at his club!! I met Paps daughters and I think they are very brave!!! We had a long trip home again and when I got home I lit a candle for Smiley, Kingsley Azelle Rodney, Paps and Demetre and Ricky Bishop.
When we got to the big police station Darren lead us to right outside and made us lift up the banner high!!! I had to stand on my tippy toes but it was too high so I just held the bottom of it and my picture of Sean Rigg!!! They played murderer and we jumped up and down singing it to I looked in the police man face and sung it loud think he was ashamed because he looked down!! Then all the people started shouting at the police and loads more came!!! Lee Jasper told us to move over the road I didn’t want to but Muma said we had to. Then we heard speeches from lots of people who had lost their family in police custody I cried a little bit when Marcia Riggs spoke and Demetres mum!!! Kingsley’s sister spoke really well and everybody cheered for her!!
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| Marcia Riggs
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There was a white lady and she had marched with us with her sons’ picture! Then the London people who came on the coach had to go and they booed the police as they got on the coach that made me laugh! One police man smiled at my mum but it wasn’t a nice smile and my Muma don’t play so she told him straight “don’t smile in my face and then come murder my son” I think she swore as well, that made me laugh as well!
There was a lady with a stick and Muma said the police hurt her I think she did good walking so far with us. I remember her from Smiley Culture’s march. Muma said bye to Linda Hughes and her people because they had a long way to go home as well. then we started walking back to the car but some people from Birmingham told us what bus to catch so half way there we got the bus the bus driver had let some people on for free because they had marched I thought that was kind !!
We went to a community hall and had food and drinks and the sound was playing it was nice but then it got late and Muma said we had to go home I was a bit sad! on Sunday Julie went home when my brother took her to the tube station cos Muma couldn’t take her because Neatly was coming for us to take us to High Wycombe for Paps Ullah Muma and Neatly nearly got lost but we found it and we met Ricky Bishops mum and Paps family . I handed out leaflets and Muma even gave one to a policeman! An old white man took one and said he was going to tell people about it at his club!! I met Paps daughters and I think they are very brave!!! We had a long trip home again and when I got home I lit a candle for Smiley, Kingsley Azelle Rodney, Paps and Demetre and Ricky Bishop.
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| Ras and his Muma at Vigil for Paps |
Muma said we are going to keep going until we get justice for everyone and I made her promise we won’t ever give up!
By Lil Ras
Photos of the march by Dee Constantine-Simms. Photo of Pap's vigil by Saqib Deshmukh.
