Note: This piece was published before rs21 was established as an independent organisation in January 2014. rs21 was founded by a group of people who had been in the opposition within the SWP and who left in response to its persistent mishandling of rape and sexual harassment allegations against a leading member.
(pic: @bat020 on Twitter)
“Mark Duggan was executed. We still believe that.”
rs21 •
A wave of shock and fury swept across the country today as news broke that Mark Duggan’s inquest jury had delivered a verdict of “lawful killing” – despite determining that Mark was unarmed when police shot him dead on 4 August 2011.
“The majority of people in this country know that Mark Duggan was executed,” said Mark’s aunt Carole Duggan. “He was executed and we still believe that.”
“We are going to fight until we have no breath in our body for justice, for Mark, for his children, for all those who have died in custody – for as long as it takes.”
Marcia Willis Stewart, solicitor for the family, said: “What we have seen today is a perverse judgement. The jury found that he had no gun in his hand – and yet he was gunned down. For us that is an unlawful killing.”
You can taste the anger at the verdict in this video clip from Channel 4 News of Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Mark Rowley being shouted down by the crowd. His statement is barely audible under the furious cries.
The full report of the inquest detailing the jury’s verdict is available as a PDF document on the official Duggan Inquest website. The Guardian has a report on the family reacting with fury to the inquest verdict. It also samples the mood on the streets of Tottenham where Mark was gunned down. Socialist Worker reports on scenes in and around the court as the verdict was returned.
Clasford Stirling at the Broadwater Farm Estate told the Guardian: “So everything the police did leading up that shooting is wrong, and yet they still did right? How are people meant to feel now? As a black person, as a black parent, I tell you now, I fear for my children on the street. Are they going to be shot by police too? How can you shoot an unarmed man? How is that right?”
(pic: @HeardinLondon on Twitter)
Later that evening Carole Duggan spoke to reporters outside Tottenham police station. The family are considering the next steps in their campaign and will release a fuller statement shortly. They appealed for messages of solidarity and support to be sent to justiceformarkduggan@gmail.com.
Justice for Mark Duggan campaign
► Twitter » @justice4mark
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► Email » justiceformarkduggan@gmail.com
Defend the Right to Protest: Duggan family vows to fight on for justice
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