Movement For Justice By Any Means Necessary
Encyclopedia
The Movement for Justice was set up in 1995 by people around the Kingsway College Student Union in the London Borough of Camden
to tackle racism in institutional and established forms. The group confronted organised fascism
as well as death in custody and wider racism to black people as well as travellers
, refugees and asylum seekers.
and the campaign that followed. The group went on to campaign for justice for the murders by racists and in police custody of many others including Rolan Adams, Michael Tachie-Menson,
The group took part in the demonstrations to close down the British National Party
headquarters in the area and helped the Youth against Racism in Europe to build an anti-racist campaign through this. They also campaigned with the YRE and local community to fight drove the BNP off Brick Lane
.
In 1993 a Kingsway student Shah Alam
was nearly killed in a racist attack in Poplar, East London and they organised the Justice for Shah Alam Campaign which organised a march, public meetings, press conferences and court pickets to get the racists convicted and jailed.
After the death of Brian Douglas they helped get Lambeth Unison
(public service workers union) and Kingsway College Student Union with the campaign.
The organisation also concentrated on mass non-co-operation with the Asylum Bill and in September 1995, published a pamphlet "Howard's Racist Immigration and Asylum Bill - What it is and how to fight it". In 1995 the group orchestrated a paint attack on Brian Mawhinney
, Tory MP outside Parliament at the state opening and Queen's speech, because of his deliberate use of emotive and misrepresentative language about 'British people fearing immigrants flooding the country' which were seen by many as an incitement to racial hatred. The group continued to oppose immigration, asylum legislation after Labour took power.
After the death of Oscar Okoye the group came under attack from Lee Jasper
and Brian Paddick
. The groups chairman Alex Olowade was sacked from his job with Lambeth Council.
In 2001 after the police shot dead a man with a replica gun cigarette lighter in Brixton, the group organised a demonstration . The demonstration was covered by the BBC.
London Borough of Camden
In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough were already developed and had a total population of 96,795. This continued to rise swiftly throughout the 19th century, as the district became built up; reaching 270,197 in the middle of the century...
to tackle racism in institutional and established forms. The group confronted organised fascism
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
as well as death in custody and wider racism to black people as well as travellers
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
, refugees and asylum seekers.
History
The group first grew following the murder of Stephen LawrenceStephen Lawrence
Stephen Lawrence was a black British teenager from Eltham, southeast London, who was stabbed to death while waiting for a bus on the evening of 22 April 1993....
and the campaign that followed. The group went on to campaign for justice for the murders by racists and in police custody of many others including Rolan Adams, Michael Tachie-Menson,
The group took part in the demonstrations to close down the British National Party
British National Party
The British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...
headquarters in the area and helped the Youth against Racism in Europe to build an anti-racist campaign through this. They also campaigned with the YRE and local community to fight drove the BNP off Brick Lane
Brick Lane
Brick Lane is a street in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, in the East End of London. It runs from Swanfield Street in the northern part of Bethnal Green, crosses Bethnal Green Road, passes through Spitalfields and is linked to Whitechapel High Street to the south by the short stretch of...
.
In 1993 a Kingsway student Shah Alam
Shah Alam
Shah Alam is the state capital of Selangor, Malaysia situated within the Petaling District and a small portion of the neighboring Klang District. It is located about west of the country's capital, Kuala Lumpur. Shah Alam replaced Kuala Lumpur as the capital city of the state of Selangor in 1978...
was nearly killed in a racist attack in Poplar, East London and they organised the Justice for Shah Alam Campaign which organised a march, public meetings, press conferences and court pickets to get the racists convicted and jailed.
After the death of Brian Douglas they helped get Lambeth Unison
Unison
In music, the word unison can be applied in more than one way. In general terms, it may refer to two notes sounding the same pitch, often but not always at the same time; or to the same musical voice being sounded by several voices or instruments together, either at the same pitch or at a distance...
(public service workers union) and Kingsway College Student Union with the campaign.
The organisation also concentrated on mass non-co-operation with the Asylum Bill and in September 1995, published a pamphlet "Howard's Racist Immigration and Asylum Bill - What it is and how to fight it". In 1995 the group orchestrated a paint attack on Brian Mawhinney
Brian Mawhinney
Brian Stanley Mawhinney, Baron Mawhinney PC is a British Conservative Party politician. He was a member of the Cabinet from 1994 until 1997 and a Member of Parliament from 1979 until 2005.-Early life:...
, Tory MP outside Parliament at the state opening and Queen's speech, because of his deliberate use of emotive and misrepresentative language about 'British people fearing immigrants flooding the country' which were seen by many as an incitement to racial hatred. The group continued to oppose immigration, asylum legislation after Labour took power.
After the death of Oscar Okoye the group came under attack from Lee Jasper
Lee Jasper
Lee Jasper is a British Black activist and former Senior Policy Advisor on Equalities to the Mayor of London. He resigned on 4 March 2008 following publication by the Evening Standard of personal emails that were illegally acquired....
and Brian Paddick
Brian Paddick
Brian Leonard Paddick is a British politician, and was the Liberal Democrat candidate for the London mayoral election, 2008, coming third behind Boris Johnson and Ken Livingstone...
. The groups chairman Alex Olowade was sacked from his job with Lambeth Council.
In 2001 after the police shot dead a man with a replica gun cigarette lighter in Brixton, the group organised a demonstration . The demonstration was covered by the BBC.