A community meeting will be held in Hackney next month to discuss issues involving race and policing.
The meeting was announced at a press conference held on Thursday (October 19) to raise concerns after a Black child was arrested at gunpoint for playing with a bright blue water pistol.
The community meeting will be held at the IDPAD Centre on Lower Clapton Road.
It will take place at 6.30pm on Thursday, November 9.
Arlene Small, a barrister and member of the IDPAD board, urged the community to attend.
Among the speakers will be Lee Jasper, chairman of the Association for Accountability in Policing.
He said he hoped police would attend to hear from the community.
“Black communities are no longer policed by consent,” he said, claiming that Black communities’ trust in police had hit “catastrophic” levels.
The Met has apologised to the boy who was arrested for playing with a water pistol but also defended the actions of its officers.
The incident occurred in July in Stoke Newington. The Met has already concluded that none of its officers committed any misconduct.
It is now investigating itself to determine whether its treatment of the boy was racist.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article