Thousands of people protested across London this weekend in memory of Chris Kaba

Thousands of people marched through Westminster in London on Saturday 10th September 2022, in memory of 24-year-old Chris Kaba. Chris was shot dead earlier this week by a specialist firearms officers, who is no longer on operational duties, Scotland Yard says. It has been confirmed Chris was unarmed and in a car that had been flagged by ANPR cameras in connection to a firearms incident. An investigation has been launched by the Independent Office for Police Conduct to look into the killing of Chris Kaba.

Demonstrators at the protest marched with banners which read: “No justice, no peace”, as well as “Justice for Chris”, “Abolish the Met” and “The Met are murderers”. The protest was led by Marvina Newton who is the founder of Black Lives Matter Leeds and the Kill the Bill movement. Alongside protesters were famous faces and Labour MPs who gave speeches. Here is everything that happened at the Chris Kaba protest in London:

Protesters began their march at Parliament Square

People assembled in Parliament Square with Chris Kaba’s family leading the march, while taking regular stops. The march continued and protesters went up to Whitehall and then onto Trafalgar Square before arriving at Scotland Yard.

Sky News incorrectly told its viewers the Chris Kaba protest was a gathering of people paying their respects to the Queen

During the protest march, footage from a helicopter showed hundreds of people walking through Trafalgar Square. Sky News, which had been reporting live coverage of scenes in Balmoral, Windsor and Buckingham Palace, mistakenly told viewers the scenes in Trafalgar Square were those mourning the Queen.

Sarah-Jane Mee said: “Look at that, look at the crowds of people winding their way down. They’ll be working their way up the Mall, and what a walk there is. There are thousands of people lining that route, it really is an incredible sight. They’ll work their way up the Mall, very slowly, meeting new friends along the way, talking about their journey here, their memories of the Queen, their good wishes for the new King.”

Sky News and Sarah-Jane have both issued apologies. In a tweet, Sarah-Jane Mee said: “I made a mistake on air. I wrongly identified crowds in Trafalgar Sq as some of the 1000s heading to Palace when at that moment it was people turning out for Chris Kaba. I’d like to personally apologise to those involved. We are covering the march & its significance later today.”

Labour MPs Diane Abbott and Bell Ribeiro-Addy gave speeches before the march

In attendance at the march was Labour MPs Diane Abbott and Bell Ribeiro-Addy. According to Metro, Diane Abbott, MP for Hackney North, said: “I don’t know how I would feel if it was my own son killed in cold blood. Mr Kaba is not the only Black man gunned down by the Metropolitan Police.”

Writing for gal-dem, Bell Ribiero-Addy, MP for Streatham, said: “I’m always going to be on the side of my community. There’s an exception to help calm tensions in my community and it’s difficult when you don’t know what’s happening. Failing to communicate – for example, it took over 48 hours for the IOPC to reveal Chris was unarmed – has brought a lot of hurt and anger.”

Stormzy gave a speech at the protest for Chris Kaba

Among the MPs was British grime rapper, Stormzy. He told the crowd: “I just encourage everyone to have stamina. I know it’s a very difficult thing to say because no one should have the stamina to go on a journey like that to get justice or to get answers but, when these people do these things, they get away with it. Have the stamina to keep going because they have killed someone, that’s murder. Just keep going, because the family needs you.”

Chris’s cousin, Jefferson, gave a speech on behalf of their family

Jefferson, Chris’s cousin, addressed the protestors. He said: “One word that has remained at the forefront of my mind, that I kept repeating to myself, that I desperately needed an answer to – that word was why. Why did you not have mercy on him as he sat in the car, defenceless, unarmed, scared and terrified?

“Why did you destroy the possibility for me to tell him that I love him and why did you destroy the possibility for him to reply ‘I love you too big cuz’? Why does his mother have to grow old whilst her first born child lies six feet under? Why did you take a friend, a loving partner, a son, a confidante, a soon to be father?

“As much as that police officer lays bare the hatred that exists in this world, the countless people who have come together offering all kinds of support lays bare the love that will always exist to fight against it.”

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Featured image credit via SWNS.