Black Lives Matter case
Raj Chada, criminal defence solicitor at Hodge Jones & Allen:
“On behalf of our clients we are disappointed by the verdict. The focus should remain on the issues that our clients were protesting about. Namely the endemic racism suffered by many black people in the UK, including a disproportionate number of deaths in custody with no accountability and overrepresentation of black students who are permanently excluded from school. Internationally, at least 5,000 people from Africa and the Middle East have drowned in the Mediterranean Sea in 2016 alone, trying to find safety or a better life, while our government withdraws support for future search and rescue operations and fails to provide solutions. Our clients remain committed to highlighting these issues and fighting for them until there is justice from the authorities.”
ENDS