Abimbola Johnson Profile picture
Oct 15, 2022 24 tweets 9 min read Read on X
I am so struck by the dignitiy of this family. #JusticeForChrisKaba @JeffersonBosela
Chris's mum shared how much joy he brought to her home. How he shone a light. How he would go out to his way to ensure she was happy
Chris's dad has spoken about the moment he was called and informed his son had been shot by the police. His voice broke as he shared that it wasn't until 12h after Chris had died that he received the news.
Chris's cousin and family spokesperson @JeffersonBosela spoke about how close he was to Chris. His sadness at losing his best friend but also highlighted the love and support the family has received from community.
Chris' fiancé, who was pregnant when Chris was shot, wrote a letter read to us by @JeffersonBosela. The first time she has made any kind of public statement. Summary below:
Now @MrLeeLawrence, son of Cherry Groce shared the pain of processing loss whilst trying to advocate for change and for justice. Lee's mother, Cherry, was shot by a Met police officer in front of him and his siblings.
After the officer shot his mother, he cried out. The officer pointed his gun at 11 year old Lee asserting that if someone didn't shut Lee up, he would sort him out.

The officer who shot Lee's mother was acquitted at trial.
Lee's family had to appeal the decision for them not to be given legal aid for her inquest. They had to campaign, raise public funds, meet with politicians. Whilst grieving.
Now @TemiMwale of @4FrontProject who highlighted how rare it is for families like Chris' to mobilise so quickly. She called on us to remember what happens after the protests, after we go home. The pain victims are still left with. That these issues continue. Trauma.
.@TemiMwale asks what accountability looks like. That solutions need to be systemic, institutional. She challenged us to have bigger visions of justice.
Temi asks us to think about the vast budget invested in policing, the Met in particular whilst we've seen a defunding of projects and resources that support young people, their education, housing, recreation, welfare.
.@TemiMwale encouraged us, in the mean time, to support one another.
Through therapy for trauma, engagement, connection. Speaking to people, writing to people. Centering empathy. Actions like legal clinics, writing to those in prison, better mental health support...
Marvina Newton, hosting the conference, reminded us to think about what we individually can do to enact change after listening to each speaker. #justiceforchriskaba
.@RDSS400 spoke of when he and his partner were pulled over with their 3.5month old baby left in the vehicle for 50mins whilst both were handcuffed outside the car. Neither he nor his partner have ever been charged with an offence.
Now, the brothers of Moyied Bashir who died after police were called to his home address amd restrained him. Police were called by Moyied's family concerned about a mental health episode he was suffering through. They spoke about how similar their grief is to the Kabas
One brother shared how in the weeks after his brother was killed, he was repeatedly stopped by the police and later pushed over by an officer at a family gathering.
MP @BellRibeiroAddy shared that she received a call from the @metpoliceuk informing her of Chris' death *before* they had informed Chris' parents. She stated clearly it should not have happened that way round
Bell spoke of how in the 3y she's been MP Lambeth has seen terrorism, the murder of Sarah Everard and Chris' killing. She highlights that trust & confidence in the police is lower in Lambeth than anywhere in London
Bell also highlighted concerns about the difference in information received from the Met and IOPC which has now been extensively reported about.
.@BellRibeiroAddy highlighted concerns about the media's dehumanisation of Chris in the immediate aftermath of his shooting. That his family, whilst grieving, had to fight against that too
We've been told that the police turned up at today's venue asking questions about how it was booked, insurance, security, etc. Adding to the family's feeling they are being treated with suspicion by the Met rather than supported through this process #justiceforchriskaba
.@BellRibeiroAddy shares that Cressida Dick would meet with MPs and tell them the reason for racial disparities in policing was because Black people committed more crime.
Rashida wrapped up by sharing a fun memory of him: Chris was one of many male cousins. In '04 at a house party for one of their bdays, they played Pow by Lethal B. Excited by the music & sugar frm the sweets he'd eaten. Chris ran outside, into a parked car & knocked himself out!
.@akalamusic reminded us that we are entitled to due process. That we need to push back against racial stereotyping, sweeping generalisations about drill music, etc. He highlighted that this happens to Black victims but not to white perpetrators.

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More from @BarristerAbi

Jun 26, 2023
🧵 To journalists contacting me about the recent developments with the #StephenLawrence case. I don't have much to say without sounding like a broken record. I say the below entirely in my own capacity:
I've become friends with Stuart Lawrence. This year marked the 30th anniversary of Stephen's murder. I attended an event with Stuart a few months ago where he was asked by a police org to, once again speak about racism in policing, the investigation & how it affected his family.
Stuart cried on stage that day. He spoke about the pressure he feels to be positive and to be honest, it broke me. I am heartbroken by the number of times the victims of murder have to become activists, spokespersons and pioneers to receive even a semblance of justice.
Read 8 tweets
Feb 20, 2023
Seminal report from @INQUEST_ORG into Race, death and British Policing: inquest.org.uk/i-cant-breathe…

They've concluded that the system of accountability for racism and racial discrimination in deaths of Black people following police contact is not fit for purpose. 🧵
Black people are 7 times more likely than white people to die following police restraint.
The role of racism in these deaths is not substantially scrutinised.
Read 7 tweets
Nov 22, 2021
1. I saw this article and paused at the headline for a moment wondering whether to retweet it. To me the issue was much more fundamental than this but less straightforward to explain. independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-n…
2. One of my duties as @policeISOB chair is to ask challenging questions of the police; particularly of the ones in leadership positions within this programme.
3. On Friday, @CliveMyrieBBC asked both me and DAC Amanda Pearson to provide examples of the most egregious instances of racism that we'd seen or experienced. He clarified that this could be personally or professionally.
Read 14 tweets
Nov 9, 2020
These Kilclooney tweets are a real insight into racism

1. Does something racist Image
2. Doubles down on said racism using the "I know one or two ppl of that race" excuse Image
3. Denies it's racist and lies to shift the goalposts. But the lie actually reinforces the racism by again showing he thought it was acceptable to call Kamala Harris "the Indian". Also just an unbelievable lie tbh. Image
Read 5 tweets
Sep 25, 2020
1. Many missing the point. Black lawyers are exhausted when mistaken for a defendant because black defendants are overrepresented in the criminal justice system. It is a SYMPTOM of the over-criminalisation of black people.
2. It reminds us that people who work in the CJS are so used to seeing Black faces to the point that ANY Black face in the court room is a defendant. It shows the internal programming of those that work at court and how deep this issue runs.
3. The solution to this isn't just anti-racism training of course staff and the judicary. It's dealing with the wider issues of racism across the entire justice system that cause so many Black people to end up in docks of court in the first place
Read 7 tweets
Jul 17, 2020
This is terrible advice:

1. You shouldn't need to be excellent in order to improve your chances of combating racism

2. It's not down to anyone Black to "defeat racism"

3. Being excellent doesn't shield you from racism so the advice is totally invalid anyway.
The whole 'black excellence' narrative is problematic. @YourGirlTiwa wrote STUNNINGLY in @BlackBalladUK about why we should CELEBRATE Black mediocrity: blackballad.co.uk/views-voices/g… Image
Black child, be excellent if you want to be excellent.
Be mediocre if you want to be mediocre.
Don't do either because you think you need to take on that burden to fight racism.
It's not your battle.
Read 8 tweets

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