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UK: Demonstration highlights deaths in custody

01 November 2000

Two hundred and fifty people marched on the Prime Minister's London residence at the end of October to call for justice for the relatives of those who had died in the custody of the police, or in prisons or psychiatric hospitals. The "Remembrance Procession" was organised by the United Families and Friends Campaign and was led by children and family members who converged on Downing Street from across the UK. A letter was handed to the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, demanding a full and independent public inquiry into more than one thousand deaths. Family members addressed supporters calling for the abolition of the Police Complaints Authority and for an end to the system that allows police officers to investigate themselves. They also demanded that police and prison officers involved in the death of a prisoner should be suspended until the death has been investigated, the prosecution of those responsible for deaths (particularly after an inquest reaches an unlawful killing verdict) and Legal Aid and full disclosure of information to families facing an inquest. The United Families Campaign say that they will never forget those that have died and they will not allow the government to do so. For more information and messages of support the UFFC can be contacted by telephone: 0370 432 439.