Is It Time To Stop The Annual Festival Of "Caribbean Culture"?

[ToraToraTora]

https://news.sky.com/story/police-tired-of-saying-the-same-words-as-notting-hill-carnival-marred-by-violence-13203662

Drug dealing, Violence, attempted murder.....sounds like fun!

[ladybirder]

I don't remember there being any trouble at all at Luciano Pavarotti's 1991 concert in Hyde Park and I was there.

[ToraToraTora]

there was a messy doormat though LB.

[Ken4155]

I was in attendance at Hyde Park in '76 when Queen did their free concert in front of almosr 200,000 people and i do not recall any violence. Of course there may have been some trade in illegal substances, but it was a peaceful, joyous occasion.

[ladybirder]

The Rolling Stones in Hyde Park, 1969: 500,000.  They hold the record apparently.

[New Judge]

"Ticket it to pay for the clean up and coppering."

I see an immediate problem with that, ymb. The people participaing in this do not want to (and in fact will not) pay for anything.

Last year the policing costs were £11.7m:

https://www.met.police.uk/foi-ai/metropolitan-police/disclosure-2023/november-2023/cost-policing-notting-hill-carnival-2023/

Numbers said to attend over the three days vary, but it seems to be somewhere between one and two million. So to charge for the policing costs alone would cost between £6 and £12 a pop. 

Apart from those aspects, I don't think people quite realise what huge disrupion this nonsense causes. Here's a few snippets from he "residents' guide" for this year:

ID for Access

If you live in any of these roads that remain closed, you will be asked to present a form of ID at the barrier point showing your name and address.

Cleaning Services

You can register online for our free Notting Hill Carnival cleaning service for your garden and/or stairs or basement if directly accessible from the street.

Property Fencing & Boarding

Neither Westminster City Council or Kensington and Chelsea Council provides fencing for private residences and businesses. Private landowners and property managers may take the decision to fence off gardens, private paths or property ahead of the weekend. All fencing, bracing or weights must be located within the housing boundary and not on pavements/the public highway.

The area covered by restrictions is considerable (about 3km north to south and about 2km east to west) and basically involves the entire area enclosed by the "Carnival Route". Five underground stations are either closed or have restricted access during Carnival. All the buses (some 25 routes) which would normally cross or pass by the area are stopped short on either side.

The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea gives older residents the chance of a "free" (i.e. paid for by council taxpayers) weekend at the seaside during Carnival:

 https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/newsroom/residents-enjoy-seaside-break-during-notting-hill-carnival

The event is defended by many because, they say,  it is a symbol of London’s diversity as well as a celebration of Afro-Caribbean culture and music. Unfortunately that culture also contains a deep-rooted of antipathy between London’s Afro-Caribbean community and the police.

Comparisons to pop festivals are specious. By comparison those events cause far less inconvenience to far fewer people and are not generally accompanied by widespread violence towards others, particularly the police. They also tend to be contained, away from residential areas and they generally fund their policing.

As I said, the place to celebrate Caribbean culture is in the Caribbean, not Ladbroke Grove.

[ToraToraTora]

Then don't police it at all let it turn into an off the books blood bath. Make it clear than none of the services will attend the area.

[davebro3]

so why £11 million for police?

[davebro3]

^^^^ ignore

[tommy39]

no they are all going to be fast tracked through the courts,and on to prison,,,if we can find room

[tommy39]

ladybirder,, i was there,and that figure was well below the actual numbers

[Deskdiary]

10.30am - "Yet one weekend involving a million people brought less than 300 arrests and that's the one that has to be stopped."

 

That's a very cavlier attitude to 8 stabbings (3 life threatening) sexual assaults and all the other crimes committed.

[davebro3]

Caribbean Culture:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c70jd57rx8jo

Yeah,that's about right....

[Deskdiary]

Let me repeat jno's comment from 10.30am on Tuesday.

 

"Yet one weekend involving a million people brought less than 300 arrests and that's the one that has to be stopped."