UNITED FAMILES & FRIENDS PRESS RELEASE 21st October 2005

NO SHOOT TO KILL

FAMILIES OF VICTIMS OF POLICE SHOOTINGS TO LEAD NEW CAMPAIGN

The United Families & Friends Campaign – the national coalition of death in custody family campaigns – today announced that it will be leading a coalition of groups and families under the banner of NO SHOOT TO KILL. It’s main aim is to end the declared policy of shoot to kill.

At a meeting held in London several families – including those of Harry Stanley, Azelle Rodney, Jimmy Ashley, Derek Bennett and Jean Charles de Menezes – declared their opposition to the policy and their determination to end it. The meeting was supported by a range of organisations including the 1990 Trust, Stop Political Terror, Churches Commission for Racial Justice and the Islamic Human Rights Commission.

In an agreed statement the campaign has said:

“Jean Charles de Menezes was killed by armed police inside Stockwell Tube station on 22 July. His execution brought worldwide attention to a shoot to kill policy that the Prime Minster and the Metropolitan Police Commissioner say is here to stay. We say ‘NO SHOOT TO KILL’ and demand an end to this brutal policy. Jean Charles was not the first victim of police shootings – Derek Bennett, Azelle Rodney, Harry Stanley and James Ashley are just some of the other people that have been shot dead on the streets of Britain. Their families continue to fight for justice. If you want to support these families. If you want to see those responsible for these killings prosecuted. If you want to defend human rights in the UK then support this campaign.

The so called ‘War on Terror’ is being used as an excuse for increasing militarisation of the police and increased powers that are already leading to miscarriages of justice. If we do not take a stand on this issue now then others will suffer. Support and join the ‘NO SHOOT TO KILL’ campaign before it is too late.”

The demands established at the meeting are:

NO SHOOT TO KILL.
PROSECUTE OFFICERS RESPONSIBLE.
NO IMMUNITY FROM PROSECUTON.

The NO SHOOT TO KILL campaign is led by the United Families & Friends Campaign and supported by Migrant Media, The 1990 Trust, CEART, Stop Political Terror, Churches Commission for Racial Justice, Islamic Human Rights Commission, Pat Finucane Centre, African Peoples Liberation Organisation, INQUEST, Newham Monitoring Project, CAMPACC, FAST and Mother Against Gun Crime.

Further events will be announced soon.

Contact details: 07770 432 439 07956 629 889 0845 330 7927