Stephen Lawrence Murder Bbc 1

[Twogirlsandme]

So sad. It makes me so angry to watch this, his poor friend and of course his family.

Yes the policemen interviewed were disgusting. As for this denial about there being racism in the Met, what a load of bollocks. I have a friend who is an officer in the Met and when he started in the 80s, he says the open racism was awful eg using words like coon . Those detectives were from that generation.
I also really felt for Duwayne Brooks. He was just a young lad and given no support for the trauma he'd been through.

And I have a family friend who was recruited by the Met from Scotland in the late 80s. I remember his parents saying the Met were looking to recruit from outside the South East because there was less racism so even they knew they had a problem.

KT

i caught up with the first instalment on bbc i player last night. Strangely the picture kept freezing and slowing down really badly and couldnt keep up with the audio Yet the trailers for other programmes were playing fine.

I've just watched the first part, will watch the other two tomorrow.

I was 15 when Stephen was killed, and have followed the case ever since it first hit the national headlines, something about it really struck me at the time, and stayed with me ever since.

One thing I remember reading, after the publishing of the McPherson report, was the 'black bin bag' incident, and it angered me no end. Some may say it was incompetence, I say it was just the police not giving a damn. I'm glad to see that incident was featured in the documentary.

Just caught up with episodes 1 and 2. I was 7 when he was murdered, about 12 miles from where I lived. I’m ashamed to say that I’ve known his name for more than three quarters of my life but knew nothing about his life. I had absorbed the racist narrative that he must have done something to provoke at least a fight or that there must have been an altercation. I’m truly ashamed to have not been paying attention.

This documentary should be essential viewing for everyone in this country. Shame on our institutions for allowing this and allowing justice to not truly have been done a quarter of a century later. God bless his poor parents and poor friend who witnessed his murder and God help us that things like this are still happening.

I feel so angry, I can’t imagine how they feel.

Just watched episode 3.
John Davidson?
Only 2 of the 5?

I agree with pp that these programmes should be viewed country wide
It breaks my heart that anyone would have to lose their life because of the colour of their skin and the fact that the people who were so called protectors were so viciously racist

I had absorbed the racist narrative that he must have done something to provoke at least a fight or that there must have been an altercation

Sadly that narrative still exists. Look at all the young black men dying from stabbings in London. Yes some will be involved in gangs but some will just happen to live on the same estate/postcode or have a relative involved in gangs that they may never even mix with.

Just watched episode 3. Thank heavens for Clive Driscoll but shame on The Met for not supporting his endeavours to continue investigating the case. There are three men walking free today who should be behind bars and they are protecting John Davidson because he’s one of their own.

Talked briefly with my 18 year old tonight about Stephen Lawrence. He cites this case as the reason why so many l youths carry knives. We're in the South East, not London, and he's white but has a lot of black friends. I wonder if he might have a point. He certainly doesn't trust the police. They certainly don't know how to work with the 'youth' IME.

Clive Driscoll.......................if only we could clone him!!

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/apr/18/stephen-lawrence-family-doreen-murder-bbc-documentary-met-racism?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Tweet

All so so awful. My husband was at cubs with Stephen and attended the same running club as him. We watched the first episode on IPlayer tonight. We were both in tears, we remember it all so well. At that time we spent a lot of time in Well Hall due to the cinema there and he lived in Woolwich but as I lived in the opposite direction we weren't in Well Hall Road that often. I remember the other murders too. Now as a mother of teenage sons myself and not a 19 year old I was then my horror is so much deeper. Neville and Doreen have all my deepest respect as do Stephen's brother and sister. Rest in peace Stephen.

I agree with Khan in that article that Dove linked:
All the police comments, prove, that nothing has changed at all. Their 'spin' has just got better!

The racism is just as insidious in this country now. The racist comments towards the residents of Grenfell Tower and the surrounding area that i see on Twitter is disgusting. One of the residents has collected reams and reams of screenshots of appalling tweets.

I was a year younger than Stephen when he was murdered and this case has always stayed with me. It is absolutely disgusting that there are 3 murderers still walking free. I recall 2 of them came from a wealthy background and I imagine the 2 who have been jailed have been paid not to drop the others in it.

I really hope the programme prompts some fresh evidence. So many people must know enough to build a case against the other 3 but are too scared to come forward or have been paid off.

amp.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/jan/06/stephen-lawrence-family-fury-met-police-change

I've never used this word about anyone but Doreen Lawrence is an absolute inspiration. She has so much strength and dignity.
Sadly, I think the fact the Lawrences were such great people helped to solidify public and political support over a long period of time. I rather suspect if they'd been a pair of lowlifes they wouldn't have got so much sympathy, which is obviously wrong. Even the Mail editor admitted knowing Neville previously influenced him because he knew what a decent quiet man he was.
I don't think the documentary spent enough time on the fact that the Lawrences were spied on. I think their son also got harassed by the police. That makes me livid.

I finished watching this today. I was around stephens age and i didnt realise how much was kept from the public. And now how much is still kept from us. Utterly heartbreaking. What a beautiful young soul taken away from us. I remember the smear campaign on duwayne. He looks shellshocked still.

My ds is Stephen's age. His dad is from the Middle East and in primary and lower secondary school he suffered racial bullying. I can't tell you how that feels as a parent. Then when people don't care (teachers or other parents) what is going on, you feel desperate. So in a very small way, I know how it feels to have a child who is a victim of racism.
Ironically it only got sorted when we involved the police. Everyone I spoke to from the 101 person to the officer who took our statement to the schools liaison officer were so understanding. So perhaps the police have learned.

I remember reading at the time that a woman held Stephen on the pavement as he died. She said she knew the last sense people lose when they're dying is their hearing, so she said to him over and over "You are loved, you are loved..." I do hope that story is true.

Sadly that narrative still exists. Look at all the young black men dying from stabbings in London. Yes some will be involved in gangs but some will just happen to live on the same estate/postcode or have a relative involved in gangs that they may never even mix with

You cannot compare what happened to poor Stephen to what is happening with stabbings in London at the moment. He was attacked by racist thugs, while the stabbings now are nearly all black on black crimes. Mindless gang violence.....

I think the poster's point is that the police don't seem to be taking the knife crime crisis seriously enough is because it's largely black people.

The police offficers were so smug, they still don’t get it and probably in their heads they think they are victims of unfair criticism.