On 21 October, Met police officer Martyn Blake was acquitted of the crime of murdering Chris Kaba, an unarmed black man, in 2022.
Blake shot Chris Kaba in the forehead without knowing his identity, tragically cutting short his life at the age of 24.
This is yet another instance of sickening police violence, and the state closing ranks to protect its lackeys. This outcome, though shocking, comes as no surprise.
A large crowd of around 250 people assembled outside the Old Bailey for an emergency protest. There was a feeling of grief and deep-seated anger at the repeated injustices committed by the British state.
Speakers called out that “this is not a problem of one rotten apple, but a whole rotten tree!”. The entire system is to blame.
They spoke of how a long line of police officers were called into the courtroom to defend their fellow officer, and were treated as ‘objective’ judges of character, rather than crooks defending their fellow gang members.
In a revolting statement, the Met commissioner Mark Rowley complained that while “no police officer is above the law… we have been clear the system holding police to account is broken.”
While Kaba’s family and loved ones are forced to relive the horror of his final moments, Rowley laments “the lack of support officers face for doing their best… The more we crush the spirit of good officers, the less they can fight crime.”
Well, the system holding police to account seems to be working perfectly fine… for them. Only one out of the 12 police officers who have been charged with murder or manslaughter since 1990 have been convicted.
Like clockwork, the establishment press has come out in chorus to dutifully inform us of Kaba’s past involvement in gangs. As if this justifies the disgusting act of taking away Kaba’s life! None of this was known to Blake when he pulled the trigger – but he did it anyway.
The ruling class and its institutions have all fallen in line to protect the actions of their hired thugs.
But none of this will stem the tide of public anger. Trust in the police is at an all-time-low. Most of the public believe that the Met is institutionally racist and sexist, following scandal after scandal after scandal.
This distrust was reflected by those gathered last night, who spoke of how we can only trust each other.
Once the speeches were over, RCP members dispersed into the crowd to ask people what brought them out.
People instantly connected this scandal to the injustices and abuses inflicted daily upon the Palestinian people, and the state clamping down upon the Palestine solidarity movement.
People want to fight the whole system which produces war and oppression – here in Britain, the Middle East, and across the world.
A Palestinian man told us: “All the governments in the world should change… We need a new system and everything.”
But there was also a feeling of not knowing where to go next. We spoke to one protester who said “it is easy to get demoralised when no one seems to have the answer”.
There is an answer, however. It is capitalism which promotes and upholds violence and injustice. We must fight to smash the state, and remove the need for the police altogether.
