John Eden: BM Box 3641, London, WC1N 3XX, England UK
Archive for the ‘politricks’ Category.
Including:
Alexis Wolton – Tortugan tower blocks? Pirate signals from the margins (an intriguing survey of pirate radio in the UK)
Christoph Fringeli – Hedonism and Revolution: The Barricade and the Dancefloor (“Will true pleasure only exist after the revolution, or will it be indispensable to lead to the revolution?”)
Smiley Culture and Asher Senator
History is Made at Night with a great summary of last night’s meeting.
Photos of the meeting by Rod Leon
A transcript of Merlin Emmanuel’s statement given to the meeting.
Evening Standard on last night’s meeting
Maxi Priest and Tippa onstage at the nine night celebration which also took place last night.
Heatwave were one of the first people to get their mitts on a tribute tune by YT and Mr Williamz: “Police officer we a demand a answer, weh really happen to the great Smiley Culture?” And here it is on Youtube for us mere mortals:
I also found this interview with Merlin Emmanuel which includes some information about Smiley as a person and some of the plans for supporting the campaign from music artists.
A public meeting was organised by David Emmanuel’s family tonight and the video of that event is now available on ustream:
Once again the reports and footage seem to indicate a huge turn out, at least 500 people.
I wasn’t able to attend but some friends and allies were, so hopefully they will post their impressions of the night in the next few days.
A march has been called for April 16th, more about which soon.
In other news:
IPCC update in advance of the meeting
So Solid Crew and Ms Dynamite have supported the campaign on twitter.
Audio and Written tributes from The Heatwave
Footage of last week’s press conference has now been watched 26,000 times.
Mad Professor is re-releasing Macka B’s “We’ve Had Enough” in tribute to Smiley:
Asher Senator (who spoke at tonight’s meeting) has recorded two tributes of his own.
It should be clear to everyone that this is just the beginning.
Shaking The Foundations: Reggae soundsystem meets ‘Big Ben British values’ downtown.
My article for Datacide issue 11 is now online. I wrote it a couple of years back in preparation for the talk I did at the launch event for the previous issue.
But actually it has stood the test of time quite well, anticipating some of the recent debates about multiculturalism. It was quite gratifying to see Professor Anthony Glees spouting yet more nonsense on Channel 4′s “Ten O’Clock Live Show” last month.
Obviously I’d be interested in any comments or criticisms people have of the piece.
Some other content from the current Datacide has also been uploaded to their site, including a piece by Stewart Home on Dope Smuggling, LSD Manufacture, Organised Crime and the Law in 1960s London.
Don’t forget to buy a copy of the current issue to get the full contents and support what Datacide is doing.
Public Meeting Called by The Emmanuel Family
7pm, Thursday 24 March
Brixton Town Hall, Brixton Road, London SW2 1RW
“The family have asked it to be known that the meeting will start on time and that they will not want a long protracted meeting. They are still in the process of grieving they will want the meeting to be concluded early. To all those in attendance they ask for your support, prayers, patience and understanding.”
Also
IPCC Video on their investigation (4 mins):
Quite interesting in terms of the IPCC’s remit and investigation. Confirms that police visited David Emmanuel’s house with a search warrant.
BBC coverage including video, interviews, etc (2 mins).
A radio show in NYC featuring Tippa Irie, Maxi Priest and Asher Senator (31 mins):
Tippa reveals that he is recording a tribute track with Maxi and Asher. There are also plans for a tribute gig.
I make no apologies for the amount of coverage I have given to Smiley Culture this week. Having said that I expect to write a little less next week. In the meantime here are some updates:
Official Statement from the Emmanuel family
Justice 4 Smiley Facebook page and Twitter feed
Cockney Translation
An interesting article in The Economist about Smiley’s use of language and its implications in wider culture.
How smiley was Smiley?
Some contrasting views from Smiley’s neighbours:
Get Surrey portray him as leading a “secluded life”.
The Voice suggests he was a bit more up for it than that
I have not included these links for their gossip value alone – one of the critical things in the Colin Roach case was his portrayal by the police and in the media as “having a history of mental health problems” which was incorrect. I believe this then influenced the public’s perception of the circumstances surrounding his death and the investigation into it.
The anonymous (police?) source in The Sun suggested that “Smiley must have thought he was going away for a long time and decided he could not handle it.” Conversely, the Emmanuel family believe that Smiley expected to be acquitted and was “calm” only 25 minutes before his death. It will be worth keeping an eye on the various narratives which emerge as the IPCC investigation progresses.
Police Officers
Did you know that there are more deaths in police custody under a Tory government?
Here is what some serving police officers are saying about the incident
A press conference was called today by the family of the late David Emmanuel aka Smiley Culture.
The event took place at the Karibu Education Centre in Brixton. You can see the whole thing on ustream. What follows are my impressions from having attended.
The room was packed – I estimate that there were at least 200 people present, plus at least that again watching the live online stream.
The audience included a number of UK reggae stalwarts such as Tippa Irie, Papa Levi and Ricky Ranking.
The speakers included a number of members of David Emmanuel’s family and friends including his nephew Merlin, his old sparring partner Asher Senator and Commander B (Vibes FM). The family had asked Lee Jasper to chair the meeting.
Jasper commenced by saying that the family were still in shock at David’s death and so may not answer questions. Merlin Emmanuel then read out an eloquent and passionate prepared statement (which should appear online in full shortly). He outlined the purposes of the meeting as:
1) To express sorrow and anger about David Emmanuel’s death
2) To thank people for the huge amount of support which they had shown
3) To appeal for unity and calm
He went on to say that there would be no Tinie Tempah or Chipmunk without Smiley Culture and that he was the first widely recognised British rapper. He hoped the press would remember David for his achievements, not for the unproven allegations against him – which he and the family felt had minimal evidence to back them up. Indeed, he was very clear that David was confident that he would be acquitted. He went on to point out that David was dealing in gold and diamonds internationally and was worth millions of pounds. “He had a lot to look forward to”.
He revealed that David Emmanuel had died from a single stab wound whilst in police custody. The family has appointed its own independent pathologist and is calling for a public enquiry.
Lee Jasper then reaffirmed the need for a full investigation into David’s death,“I’ve been a policing director for eight years and I’ve never heard a scenario like that was explained to for Smiley Culture’s death. Even if you would accept it as true, it would still be bizarre. So given that there is very little trust in the police, it’s no wonder that the vast majority of people who hear this tale are struck down by disbelief and anger.”
Indeed, the police have yet to provide an official statement of what happened. Merlin then reminded those present that when members of the public are felt to have commit a crime, they are immediately arrested, separated from each other and made to make statements. This does not seem to occur with allegations of police crime.
David was described as being “calm” 25 minutes before his death (the last time a family member had seen him). When asked why the police had arrived he shrugged his shoulders and said he didn’t know what was going on.
It was revealed that the knife had traveled all the way through his body.
Asher Senator responded to a question from the press about what Smiley Culture was like as a person. He responded warmly and humbly:
“Culture was original there was no-one like him. His confidence was extreme. He was very very clever. While we were thinking about five pounds, he was thinking about five million! Culture made it happen. Before we made a record, he already had a thousand pounds and nobody had a thousand pounds in Wandsworth Road those days.”
“He made things happen all of the time. When we got our first royalty cheques he bought me a car – a Senator.”
Various points were made throughout the meeting about the irregularities in the police’s conduct:
Lee Jasper asked the press to stop quoting “anonymous police sources”, which I assumed referred to the coverage in The Sun. A family member said “I don’t know who they’re writing about in the papers, because I don’t recognise him”.
There was a lot of scepticism in the room about the media and the police. Lots of phones and cameras were in view, suggesting that people wish to create their own reports and media, which is to be applauded.
Families of other people who had died in police custody spoke about their own situations. In one instance it had taken seven months for the police officers concerned to be interviewed. Links were also made to the failed investigation of the New Cross Fire and to the forthcoming anniversary of the ’81 Brixton riots. Comments were made by people around me that nothing changes.
Tippa Irie was invited to speak. He pointed out that he wasn’t usually short of words or lyrics but he was still in shock: “I want the press to understand something. This bredda touched all of us with his music, as an individual. People have been contacting me from all over the world – Smiley was a British icon. [...] He was our Arthur Daley, but he would always help you. This cannot rest here, we need to support Merlin and his family.”.
Leanne, Asher Senator’s sister, spoke briefly. She’d known Smiley all her life and saw him as her other brother. She recalled Asher and Smiley’s early rehearsals in the family home, which were apparently so bad that her Mum had asked if the two young men were practicing Obeah upstairs!
Smiley’s daugther was the final speaker. Clearly still very emotional, she simply thanked the audience for their support and time and asked us to stay strong for the family.
The meeting closed with a chant of “No Justice – No Peace”
Outside, people gathered on the pavement and talked. The mood was pretty somber, but it’s clear that a lot of people want answers to their questions and that they’re not going to be fobbed off.
I left feeling a confused mixture of upset and empowered. Whilst Smiley Culture’s music has meant a lot to me, that feels inconsequential after seeing the reactions of his immediate family members, just two days after his unexplained death. In some ways the outrage and solidarity expressed in the room and all over the world will help with that, but only so much.
At the time of writing, the recorded ustream of the event has been viewed over 2,000 times.
A public meeting will take place in Brixton on the 24th of March at 7pm. Venue TBC because somewhere larger is required.
This afternoon, the Independent Police Complaints Commission issued an updated press release.
The press conference and the press release seem to be generating more coverage, which I may comment on tomorrow.
Hours after my post yesterday about the occupation of the Libyan emabassy in 1986, a group called Topple The Tyrants squatted Gaddafi’s son Saif’s £10 million mansion in Hampstead.
Far be it for a humble man like myself to suggest that there is any connection between these two events…
History is Made at Night came good with some more info on the eighties occupation, as well as a worrying look at Gaddafi’s support amongst some elements of the euro-anarcho scene in the early nineties.
Comrade Sufi over at Dissensus brought me up to date with the Gaddafi Kentucky Fried Chicken meme:
Mubarak KFC
This image emerged from the Egyptian uprising. There is a branch of KFC in Tahir Square.
Desperate Egyptian dictator Mubarak accused the protestors of all being pro-american lackeys who ate KFC etc. This lie was then replicated in the state media with reports that protestors were being paid $100 US and given free KFC meals. (This has echoes of various left wing protestors in the UK, from miners’ strike supporters to anti-capitalists at May Day being accused in the tabloids of being paid…)
The protestors then took the piss out of Mubarak with the above image.
The protestors also defaced said KFC thusly:
Apparently this text reads “No to Mubarak the U.S. Client.” (Another image, slightly clearer is here).
The anti-dictator/KFC image now seems to have gone viral, which brings us right back to Gaddafi:
Now far be it for me to suggest that eighties Hackney squat punks God Told Me To Do It had any inflence on this…
Jez: Look Mark, I’m a musician, in case you’d forgotten. Yeah? I answer to a higher law. The law of “if it feels good, do it”.
Mark: Oh, that’s a great law isn’t it? What’s that, Gaddafi’s law?
Jez: It’s the musician’s law. Colonel Gaddafi could not lay down a bass hook, Mark. That should be clear even to you!
[Peep Show Series 3 - with thanks to Bandshell on Dissensus for the quote and for inspiring this post]
Hopefully Gaddafi will be gone by the time this post goes live. I certainly won’t miss him, but I will grudgingly admit that he brought a certain erratic charm to international politics.
In the eigties and nineties fascist idiots like Nick Griffin and Blood Axis’ Michael Moynihan fell for this charm, distributing the Colonel’s Green Book - seemingly in the belief that he was a profound thinker.
fascist loons Nick Griffin and Derek Holland pose under a Gaddafi portrait in Libya
Griffin actually went one step further and headed off to see Gaddafi in the hope that he’d be able to tap him up for some funding for the National Front. Apparently this didn’t come to anything (unsurprisingly!), but the episode is certainly worth remembering now that Griffin has gone pseudo respectable and rabidly anti-Islam.
More enjoyable by far were the punks who recognised that Gaddafi’s charm was more about his flamboyant mentalism than any insightful philosophy.
God Told Me To Do It were a Hackney-based band would be universally recognised as being rubbish, were it not for their genius sense for the controversial and a neat turn in slogans. Their artwork was liberally reproduced in Vague back in the day and they were notorious for winding up the po-faced.
Having used the Colonel’s image on a few flyers, the group noticed in 1986 that the Libyan Embassy in London was temporarily vacant, presumably in the aftermath of WPC Yvonne Fletcher being shot by one of its occupants whilst policing a demonstration outside…
[All GTMTDI images found via Kill Your Pet Puppy.]
Gaddafi also makes an appearance alongside some “loony left” tabloid bugbears in Stewart Home‘s black-humoured “Kill” which is available on the classic Stewart Home Comes In Your Face CD. The tune was later re-versioned as “Islam Uber Alles” by Blackpool psych-punk legends The Ceramic Hobs, but here is the original in all its dumb boot-stomping glory:
More recently (and less interestingly), MIA has described Gaddafi as “always being one of my style icons”, and Asian Dub Foundation made an opera about him.
Here’s hoping that Libya will shortly become “the land of the free” and with that Gaddafi will become history.
My article in Datacide touches on the gradual acceptance of soundsystem culture in the UK over the last 60 years.
I’ve now discovered that this process can be illustrated just as well by checking Hansard, the record of discussions in the UK Parliament.
It seems that in the seventies and eighties, reggae was only ever discussed by our ruling class in connection with social disturbance or disorder. Gradually it becomes part of daily life – even for Lords and MPs!
Reading Hansard is probably not your idea of fun if you’re checking this blog, but the quotes below are outrageous, ridiculous and hilarious by turns. It is impossible not to laugh when you imagine them said in absurd posh plummy voices:
“Take a situation where a young reporter, addicted to purple prose as young re-porters tend to be, who was sent by an evening newspaper to cover the Notting Hill Carnival this year in the early hours, when everything was peaceful. He might have knocked out a piece along these lines.
‘Eyes glazed and half-closed, fingers snapping, feet tapping, the Caribbean crowd swayed rhythmically to the insistent pulsating beat of reggae.’
This could possibly have been insulting to one or two—not many, but one or two—West Indians involved. It might have implied that they were more likely to be carried away by the jungle beat, if you like, than the European population.
Had that report been published in the early editions of the evening newspaper, before the muggings, the rioting and the injuries to the police which followed, and had it got into the hands of ill-natured people who were in any case biased already against the West Indian population, this could be said, quite without any intention whatsoever, to stir up latent antagonism or hostility towards them. This is precisely the sort of thing I am trying to avoid.”
Lord Monson
October 1976 (Race Relations Bill)
“I have sought this debate because of a West Indian party which took place in my constituency over the Christmas holidays. It began on 22 December, the Sunday before Christmas, and continued until 2 January, a period of 11 days. During that time, the harassment, noise and fear that my constituents had to endure was utterly intolerable. The nights were the worst.
The form was that people would start to arrive at about 9 pm from all parts of Birmingham but also from London, Bristol and the North. They came in cars and in vans, usually with hi-fi equipment blasting out reggae music from their transport, horns blaring as they cruised up and down the road looking for parking places. That went on all night, until 7.30 in the morning, and it went on every night.
I have visited that street many times and have seen the house at which these parties took place. It is a very small house. On the ground floor is just one window and the front door. Above is just one large window and a very tiny window over the door. It is a terraced inner-city house. Inside that house were crammed 200 people at any one time, although there was a good deal of coming and going.
Those who attended paid £2 to go in. There is plenty of evidence from people who saw the money changing hands. I do not think that much alcohol was drunk, although one West Indian who was at the party said that some was drunk. However, many observers say that marijuana was being smoked—and quite a quantity, because the smell outside was unmistakable.
The noise of the disco troubled the near-neighbours, as well it might, because the sound was turned up very high, but it was the rowdy behaviour in the street that was the main problem. There was a seething mass of people, 99 per cent. of whom were of the Rastafarian type, who can look a little frightening. Certainly their numbers were frightening.
The noise these people made was terrifying. They shouted at each other. One resident who tried to park his car in a space which was apparently reserved for a party-goer was intimidated and very frightened. Another of my constituents who went to ask whether the noise could please be turned down a little had a knife pulled on him. No doubt thinking that discretion was the better part of valour, he ran away with the man with the knife after him and only just got inside his house in time, where he slammed and bolted the door. He was very frightened.”
Mrs. Jill Knight (Birmingham, Edgbaston)
February 1981: All-Night Parties
“Rastafari is more than just a religion: it is also a culture which expresses itself in many ways, not least in reggae music. It gives cultural identity to some of those who reject both traditional West Indian society and contemporary British urban values.”
Lord Hylton
February 1982: Brixton Disorders: The Scarman Report
“The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis tells me that on the evening of 6 January 3,000 people attended a reggae concert in aid of Ethiopian famine relief at the Academy, Stockwell road, London SW9. At about 11 pm two police officers attempted to arrest a man who had been detained inside the building by security staff on suspicion of theft and being armed.
A number of people intervened to prevent the arrest and the man escaped into the auditorium. The two officers gave chase, but were set upon by members of the audience. One officer received stab wounds to the thigh whilst the other was knocked unconscious by a blow from a bottle. Police reinforcements quickly arrived on the scene and dealt with the disturbance. A further five officers sustained minor injuries. One person was arrested and charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent.”
Mr. Giles Shaw (Pudsey)
January 1985: Disorder (Brixton)
“The Leader of the Opposition should dissociate himself from the violent attacks that are made persistently on the police by Labour councillors up and down the country.
He must denounce and, if possible, remove the block by some Labour councillors on policemen visiting schools. He must dissociate himself from the vast majority of GLC leaflets that depict the police as racists and oppressors of gays. He must get rid of any support in his party for the reggae record which has been sent round many youth clubs and which contains violent language directed against the police.”
Sir Eldon Griffiths (Bury St. Edmunds)
May 1986: Crime Prevention
[more on that record here - at least I assume it's that one?]
“Many of us who worked on the shop floor or in the pits can tell Conservative Members that we went home, had our tea and fell asleep on the settee. We were so tired that we slept for an hour before having a couple of pints. We started work at 6 am and were too tired to go out at 11 pm to a disco to play reggae music and keep the street awake until all hours of the morning.”
Mr. Joseph Ashton (Bassetlaw)
March 1987: Corporal Punishment
“Does my right hon. Friend agree that it is extraordinary for Southwark, if it is so hard up, to spend £13,800 on a reggae concert for Black Solidarity day?”
Mr John Butterfill (Bournemouth West)
February 1988: Rate Limitation
“What the national curriculum does require, particularly at key stage 2, is a lot of specialised knowledge of music. It requires the teaching of notation and composing; it requires a quality of listening and appreciation of music that is really quite specialised and cannot be provided by just any teacher. The Minister would not fancy his hand at teaching a group of young children at key stage 2 ostinato, or to appreciate Stravinsky on the one hand and reggae on the other.“
Mr. Mark Fisher (Stoke-on-Trent, Central)
March 1993: Music and Library Provision
“Look at that block today. Several of the flats are boarded up, no doubt awaiting maintenance. I went there today and spoke to a lady who said that the flat next door to hers had been empty for four years. Other flats were occupied but had boarded-up windows. Paving stones were broken and dangerous, and litter and cans disfigured the courtyards. From some flats, where I am told squatters still live, came the sound of deafening reggae music.”
Mr. Peter Atkinson (Hexham)
January 1994: Housing
“I had a briefing from experienced officers in a police force who recently visited Jamaica to look at the controls on crack. They said that a reggae song on the local radio in downtown Kingston was urging dealers to go to Britain. The encouragement to come to London was the suggestion that The police don’t bang, the courts don’t hang and the sentence ain’t tang”.
The police certainly do not “bang” and our courts do not hang, but we have some very long sentences for drug dealing, and London ought not to be an attractive place for international drug dealers.”
The Minister of State, Home Office (Mr. David Maclean)
July 1994: Drug Use (Royal Commission)
[please help me find out what this record is]
“I am delighted to participate in the debate. Like many Conservative Members, I wish to register my own interest: when I was younger than 16, I was a smoker. To this day, I have never admitted it to my family. [Interruption.] I expect that they are not listening and watching this evening. My mother and father would not be very happy.
I have no idea why I took up smoking. I think it had more to do with the music that I listened to and the image I wished to identify with. I caught the tail end of the punk era. I was keen on ska music. As part of that overall image, smoking was de rigueur. I then became a new romantic. Smoking did not go with pastel pinks or pastel yellows. I took up smoking as a teenager and ended smoking while still a teenager. It was to do with my warped sense of fashion at that time.”
Mr. Jim Murphy (Eastwood)
April 2002: Smoking Bill
Lord Evans of Temple Guiting: “I am sure that, as regular listeners, all noble Lords will be familiar with Kiss FM’s format which, comprises, and fully reflects, the musical styles known as House, Garage, Soul, Soul/Jazz. Rap, Reggae, Ragga and Swing together with any developments of these and other related forms of dance music”.
Lord McNally: “My comment was due to the fact that I have a 13-year-old son. My difficulty is finding a place in the house where I cannot hear Kiss FM.”
Lord Evans of Temple Guiting: “The noble Lord should be generous and buy him a set of headphones. They do not cost much.”
May 2003: Communications Bill
[she's being sarcastic] “A number of other simple adjustments would undoubtedly be great crowd pleasers. The Parliament Choir has been most co-operative. They have agreed to ditch Verdi’s “Requiem” this year in favour of a blast of reggae, jungle, hip hop and garage. Believe me, they will undoubtedly rise to the challenge; they are well up to it, as the younger generation would say.”
Ms Angela Billingham
November 2004: Address in Reply to Her Majesty’s Most Gracious Speech
