After ‘unsustainable’ violence resulted in eight stabbings, the most since 2016, as well as sexual offenses and assaults on police, there have been calls to move Notting Hill Carnival to a park.Submitted by Rhiannon James and Danya Bazara Reviewed at 09:18 EDT on August 30, 2023
Eight stabbings—the most since 2016—along with sexual offenses and assaults on police prompted calls to relocate Notting Hill Carnival following ‘unsustainable’ levels of violence.According to the Metropolitan Police, over 50 officers were assaulted by being kicked, punched, spat on, bit, head-butted, and even urinated on from upper level windows during the course of Sunday and Monday as they made 308 arrests.After being stabbed, a 29-year-old male is in a critical state, and a second victim, 19, is in a “serious but stable condition.” Over the weekend, six additional men—ages 18, 19, 20, 25, 28 and 40—were also stabbed; their wounds weren’t life-threatening.The Notting Hill Carnival should be relocated, according to Susan Hall, a candidate for mayor of London from the Conservative Party and the head of the Met Police union.
You cannot allow it to be the case that every Tuesday morning we are thinking about injuries of this nature, injuries in this quantity, sexual assaults, and stabbings. Rick Prior, vice chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, told The Daily Telegraph, “It truly is dreadful.Mr. Prior claims the amount of violence is ‘unsustainable’ because arrests during the carnival are up by a third from last year. While acknowledging the significance of the carnival’s location in Notting Hill, Mr. Prior suggested that a change be taken into consideration.
202320222021202020192018201720162015201420132012201120102009200820072006200520042003 308209N/AN/A354373313454407252301278245243243280246277183167186 number of arrests at Notting Hill Carnival each year. Advertisement
He continued by acknowledging that crimes inevitably occur at events like this, but he claimed that the venue’s design and the sheer volume of guests encourage “nefarious intent.”The bank holiday weekend’s shocking video even depicts revelers brandishing machetes in the street in front of throngs of onlookers.
One photograph depicts a young man who appears to be approaching a gathering of men while brandishing a sizable weapon while the men stare on in shock.The event was “born out of the Caribbean community in north Kensington and Notting Hill,” according to a spokesman for London Mayor Sadiq Khan, and this should “remain its home.”But Susan Hall, the Tory candidate for mayor of London, told LBC: “I’m afraid we have this every single year. It’s very upsetting.”
It’s amazing what the Notting Hill Carnival does. I’d simply advise moving it. Move it to a location where it can be policed far more effectively than it can currently.I would advise people to look at alternative locations for it to go because it is very, very tough to police because it is so good and successful and very, very many people go there.She added, “Perhaps to a park,” when asked where it should be relocated. And then let the organizers look and decide where they want it moved.Of course, it’s up to everyone else; at this particular time, it’s not up to me.
I simply make the same observation every year about all the mishaps, stabbings, and other undesirable events that occur.And I regularly speak with police officers, who, quite honestly, don’t want to be there because they are in danger.Sir Mark Rowley, the commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, expressed concern about the use of weapons at the Notting Hill Carnival but emphasized that most attendees had a “fantastic time.” ‘We’re not the organizers of the carnival,’ he said to reporters when asked if the event should be moved from the streets of west London in the future.
With nearly a million attendees, it is an incredible community event with a wonderful history.We will examine what transpired with the organizers and consider what more can be done to increase safety and help ward off the few but extremely dangerous individuals that show up there.
However, a million people showed up and were having a great time.We must use caution while referring to it. However, I am concerned about the weaponry and the events we witnessed. A small number of people attend the event with the intent to injure and create “disarray,” according to Ken Marsh, chairman of the federation that represents rank-and-file officers. “How come the police show up every August bank holiday weekend and assault dozens of people?” Where else in the world does it occur? “Unfortunately, we have a mayor [Sadiq Khan] who tells everyone that it [the carnival] is amazing and that everyone needs to accept it, full stop,” he said in an interview with The Times.The Metropolitan Police Federation reports that it is aware of a total of 75 cases involving attacks on police. The incidents have been dubbed “absolutely disgusting.”The federation tweeted, “No wonder our members dread policing this event.”
The photographer who took the picture of the man brandishing a machete claimed he was “in the wrong place at the wrong time” and that a fight between two gangs using knives and a machete broke out nearby.The incident, he claimed, lasted for around ten seconds, and the most alarming aspect, according to him, was that it appeared “bog standard” to those around him.I could sense that something was starting. ‘My first thought was, ‘Keep shooting pictures,’ and then I noticed a young kid racing about with a machete,’ he recalled. Video shows a group of young people sprinting down a west London street in balaclavas and black clothing after a violent conclusion to the yearly festival also surfaced today. One of them is seen wielding what appears to be a machete.A sizable crowd could be seen watching as police on horses attempted to pursue after the group as it fled. As they run, some of the group members turn to look behind them.
That’s why I don’t attend on Monday, which is known as grownups’ day, people have commented on the video. Police had to take action as the carnival turned into violence on bank holiday Monday, despite detectives’ appreciation for the “positive” and “good natured” mood on Sunday.A 29-year-old man was stabbed just off Harrow Road soon after 9 o’clock in the evening, and police claimed he was initially in critical condition. He is currently in a’serious but stable’ condition.Prior to 8 o’clock in the evening, a 19-year-old male was stabbed in Ladbroke Grove and is still in critical but stable condition. The Met reported that throughout the course of the two days, it made a total of 308 arrests.
On Sunday, 110 people were detained for offenses such as sexual offenses, drug use, assaults, including those on police officers, and possession of dangerous weapons. One man had a non-life-threatening slash wound but refused medical assistance.Additionally, officers took rapid action to apprehend a group that was in possession of a gun.
The weapon was taken, and a man was detained.For a similar variety of offenses, 198 additional people were arrested on Monday.The two-day street party’s organizer, Notting Hill Carnival Ltd, has dissociated itself from the violent incidents that occurred on Monday, claiming that those involved “have nothing to do with Notting Hill Carnival or its values.”‘Notting Hill Carnival has once again been a stunning weekend of color and sound, the conclusion of a year’s lengthy labour, that results in this tremendously important and distinctive cultural event,’ the company said in a statement posted on Tuesday.Carnival is about these groups of people and communities who invest a tremendous amount of time, love, creativity, and effort into the procession, sound systems, music, food, costumes, and other aspects of the celebration.These individuals have nothing to do with Notting Hill Carnival and its principles, and we condemn all acts of violence.Tragically, these events occur far too frequently in our culture.
According to the Office for National Statistics, 12,786 knife offenses were committed in the capital in the 12 months leading up to the end of March of last year. This tragically affects us just as much as any other community.”We will keep pushing forward with our partners to safeguard Notting Hill Carnival and the people who make it so special,” the statement reads.After two days of steel drums, barbecues, and flashy headdresses, which came to an end on Monday night, the violence broke out.As part of yesterday’s sunny “carnival climax,” which saw the adults’ procession start in the morning before a feast of music took over the streets, hundreds of thousands of revelers gathered in Kensington. Celebrities were sighted taking part in the lively annual celebration of Caribbean history and culture, including Lily Allen, Nick Grimshaw, and Idris Elba, who presented his own DJ set.
Following the participation of two million revelers in this year’s carnival, council personnel are now descending on west London to sweep up and tidy up mountains of trash. Ade Adelekan, a deputy assistant commissioner with the Met Police who oversaw the policing operation, said that significant violence had marred Monday night at carnival for a second year running.There is no denying the importance of carnival to London’s cultural calendar, and the vast majority of visitors will have had a great day.
The stabbings, sexual assaults, and assaults on police officers that we have witnessed, however, cannot be disregarded.We will be evaluating the events of the last two days and carefully considering what might need to change in future years, as we do after each significant operation.It’s crucial to recognize the benefits we can gain from the experience.
I am happy that we were able to effectively monitor crowd density and intervene to stop any incidences of crushing during peak times thanks to our tight collaboration with the event organizers and stewarding personnel.”I want to thank all the officers who worked so hard to keep people safe over the weekend,” he said.The carnival presents a difficult policing scenario. Police were advised to remain watchful and aware while also being friendly, respectful, and sympathetic. They went above and above what was required of them, and they merit our appreciation.
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