London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 04, 2025

Hundreds march to remember those who died in state custody

Hundreds march to remember those who died in state custody

Annual memorial procession through London calls out names of growing number of people who died at hands of state

Hundreds of friends and relatives of people who died in prison or police custody have held a procession through central London in remembrance and calling for justice for their loved ones.

Supporters of the United Friends & Families Campaign gathered in Trafalgar Square just after midday on Saturday for the march, which has taken place every year in London since 1999.

They carried banners with photos and pictures of those who they say had died at the hands of the police and state, and called out their names as they marched.

“It’s an annual memorial. It’s in memory of all loved ones that have died at the hands of the state in the United Kingdom, and we are remembering them today,” said Marcia Rigg, 57, from Mitcham.

Rigg’s brother, Sean Rigg, suffered a heart attack in Brixton police station in 2008 after he was restrained by police while suffering an episode of mental ill health. She is now the chair of the UFFC.

“It’s a memorial procession as opposed to a protest march, even though it is a protest against the non-accountability of any of these deaths in custody,” Rigg said. “I’m certain there is not one family here that has received justice.”


The UFFC was started in 1997. Among the founding members was Brenda Weinberg, whose brother, Brian Douglas, was killed when he was struck in the head with a baton by a police officer in 1995.

Standing in the crowd with her daughter, Weinberg, now 61, from Wimbledon, said: “It’s just sad that 22 years on we are still doing this, and there are still new families. That’s the sad part.

“It would have been Brian’s birthday yesterday.”


After gathering in Trafalgar Square, protesters marched down Whitehall towards Downing Street. Rigg led the march, chanting the names of men and women including Jean Charles de Menezes, Joy Gardner, Olaseni Lewis, and, a more recent addition, Sarah Everard.

“We stand in solidarity with Sarah Everard’s family, and my only wish is that they could be standing with us today; but we are marching with her as well,” Rigg told the Guardian.

At Downing Street, the march shared space with a noisy protest against the military coup in Sudan, with speakers’ amplified voices battling to be heard over the other protesters’ chants and airhorns.

Among those who spoke was Ajibola Lewis, the mother of Olaseni Lewis. Her son died after being restrained by police at Bethlem royal hospital in south London in 2010, after checking himself in voluntarily for a mental health episode.

“Seni was 23, a graduate,” she said. “He went into a place of care, but he was killed.”

Keshia Johnson had travelled from Manchester with her family. Her 17-year-old brother, Ronaldo Johnson, died in April after the car he was riding in as a passenger crashed during a police chase.

“We have just been batted from the police to the IOPC [Independent Police Complaints Commission] for information, but we are no wiser as to what’s happened,” she said.

“It needs to change. It needs to stop.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Queen Camilla’s Teenage Courage: Fended Off Attempted Assault on London Train, New Biography Reveals
Scottish Brothers Set Record in Historic Pacific Row
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Court of Appeal Allows Asylum Seekers to Remain at Essex Hotel Amid Local Tax Boycott Threats
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Nvidia Reveals: Two Mystery Customers Account for About 40% of Revenue
Woody Allen: "I Would Be Happy to Direct Trump Again in a Film"
Pickles are the latest craze among Generation Z in the United States.
Deadline Day Delivers Record £125m Isak Move and Donnarumma to City
Nestlé Removes CEO Laurent Freixe Following Undisclosed Relationship with Subordinate
Giuliani Seriously Injured in Accident – Trump to Award Him the Presidential Medal of Freedom
EU is getting aggressive: Four AfD Candidates Die Unexpectedly Ahead of North Rhine-Westphalia Local Elections
Lula and Putin Hold Strategic BRICS Discussions Ahead of Trump–Putin Summit
WhatsApp is rolling out a feature that looks a lot like Telegram.
Investigations Reveal Rise in ‘Sex-for-Rent’ Listings Across Canada Exploiting Vulnerable Tenants
Chinese and Indian Leaders Pursue Amity Amid Global Shifts
European Union Plans for Ukraine Deployment
ECB Warns Against Inflation Complacency
Concerns Over North Cyprus Casino Development
Shipping Companies Look Beyond Chinese Finance
Rural Exodus Fueling European Wildfires
China Hosts Major Security Meeting
Chinese Police Successfully Recover Family's Savings from Livestream Purchases
Germany Marks a Decade Since Migrant Wave with Divisions, Success Stories, and Political Shifts
Liverpool Defeat Arsenal 1–0 with Szoboszlai Free-Kick to Stay Top of Premier League
Prince Harry and King Charles to Meet in First Reunion After 20 Months
Chinese Stock Market Rally Fueled by Domestic Investors
×