I have previously supported most of the STWC actions but this is quite revolting and reflects the current leaderships capacity to jump on any event for it's own media-hungry ends.

This was as unfortuate event but in light of our societies current postion it would appear inevitable that mistakes will happen, to promote the idea that the uk police are an unregulated organisation is so utterly absurd that it places shame on the global nature of this organisation

Please show some respect for the dead and ignore this ugly PR exercise.

Kelly Holmes

Do you have a vigil for every person who gets shot dead? Do you have a vigil when an innocent person gets killed by gang members in a drive by shooting?

This vigil is NOT in bad taste - his family members supported it. Nice one STWC! It would be wrong to remain silent at this time.

Terror attacks, wars and state repression conspire to crush us and our liberties. But we will not slide into a state of totaltarian oppression in silence!

You might succumb, but I am glad that many others will carry on building the struggle for peace, equality and freedom.

And I think we must be honest and recognise that the continual right-wing trolls trying to undermine any questioning of state terror that have appeared on Indymedia recently are multiple identities coming from far fewer sources, (if you get my gist!)

A young Brazillian is a suicide bomber, Iraq threatens us with weapons of mass destruction - we must reject this political practice of pre-emptive strikes based upon 'state intelligence' (ie. lies, paranoia and violence!)


We held vigils in solidarity with the victims of the 7/7 terror in London.

We hold vigils in solidarity with the victims of the US/UK terror in Iraq.

And we will hold vigils in solidarity with this victim of police / state terror as well.

We will not be silenced!

band_wagon + jumping = SWC

You say, "Show some respect for the dead."

Are you saying that only the dead from the bombing deserve respect? Jean Charles de Menezes is also dead. No respect for him???

"Mistakes will happen." The Convenient Passive-Voice God strikes again!!!!!! How about, "The police made a mistake"?

A "mistake," by definition, is something that should not have been done, and something that should be avoided in the future. As long as Ian Blair is saying that everything was done right and nothing should be changed, then it bloody well wasn't a Mistake. It was a Correct Action! It was Right! It was Proper! It was Great! Death to Jean Charles, the bugger deserved it!!!! And so does anyone else who wears a heavy coat, has dark hair, walks out of a "suspicious" building, and instinctively runs when he sees people chasing him!!!!

For that matter, death to you and me if we ever do that, because we deserve it!!!!! That's right, death is a fitting punishment for anyone wearing a heavy jacket, with dark hair, who walks out of a "suspicious" building, and instinctively runs when he sees people chasing him. It just hasn't been written into the Criminal Code yet, that's all.

Do you, perhaps, think I am being unfair to your point of view? I submit that the above is the logical conclusion of your views.

I think it is a very reasonable request to ask that the police release the security tapes of what happened. They may show that the pursuit was not as clear-cut as the police say it was. (Remember, they also said at first that Jean Charles was definitely linked to the terrorists.) Whatever the case, it is unacceptable in human rights terms to kill someone on mere suspicion, and badly founded suspicion at that.

I think, Kelly Holmes, that you need to take an empathy pill. Perhaps you would not be denouncing the vigil for Jean Charles de Menezes if it were you or a loved one of yours. Tragedy is tragedy, whether one dies by a bomb or a bullet in either London or Iraq. Your hypocritical insistence on "respect for the dead" is very disrespectful to at least one innocent dead person. Spare us your phony self-righteousness, will you?

Which moron decided to take a big sign saying "Support the Iraqi Resistance - No More War!" to what was supposed to be a vigil for an innocent Brazillian man?