Peckham Pride says driving while black is not a crime - DROP THE CHARGES against Roger!

During the recent powerful Peckham LGBT+ Pride demonstration on Saturday 18th February 2017 against racist immigration raids, deportations and the racist state violence that has intensified since Brexit; police arrested a local man for ‘Driving while black,’ despite the loud protests of demonstrators and by-standers. This provocative, racist action occurred just off Rye Lane on Saturday 18th February, as hundreds from LGBT+ and migrant communities marched together in a show of unity.

Many people from the Pride march and the community gathered to protest Roger’s innocence and demand his release, but the officer called for ‘back up.’ Roger was pushed and shoved in front of many witnesses until he was dragged off to Walworth police station, where many people from the demonstration gathered for an angry protest, demanding his release. He was released in the early hours, charged not with any driving offence but with ‘assaulting a police officer’. The police escalated a situation to justify their harassment and have concocted a charge to cover their own harassment and assault of Roger.

Peckham Pride was a vibrant demonstration of unity against racism, immigrant-bashing and anti-gay prejudice. We say, ‘An Injury to One is an Injury to All.’ We demand that the racist charge against Roger is dropped immediately