Left naked in a cell for 8 hours, hero councillor in Leeds riots & other stories from Black, Asian and Arab communities in the UK you shouldn't have missed this week curated by Melissa Sigodo
Good afternoon,
Thank you for subscribing to The Thread.
And thank you for continuing to open these email even while the sun is out.
Lots of news tends to slip through the cracks when the weather is good, so I’m making sure I gather it all.
There’s all sorts of to catch up on this week so grab a cool drink and here’s the news you shouldn’t have missed this week.
Local heroes
A local councillor has been praised for heroically stepping in to extinguish fires and stop the disorder that broke out in Harehills, Leeds. Green Party representative, Mothin Ali said he tried to form a “human shield” along with friends and footage circulating on social media showed him wrestling an object away from a rioter. Full story.
Policing
A Black man was left naked in a ‘freezing’ cell for eight hours and forced to run hot tap water on himself to keep warm after being strip searched by Greater Manchester Police following a family dispute. A second time Mark Dove was ‘absolutely humiliated’ when he was led to the custody desk naked where he says staff "laughed at him.” Full story.
A suspect in the unsolved murder of Kelso Cochrane who was stabbed to death by a white gang in Notting Hill, told police he ‘wanted to kill a Black man’ and had stabbed three Black men prior, a Freedom of Information request by family has revealed. Police at the time said there was no racist motive despite knowing the suspect’s intentions. Full story.
An action plan launched by police four years ago following the murder of George Floyd who was killed by a white police officer in the US, has been progressing at a “glacial” pace, a report by the Independent Scrutiny and Oversight Board has found. The damning report called for the government to “take on responsibility” and “accelerate reforms to create a fairer policing system for Black communities.” Full story.
Charity
An ex-police officer, Adam Whittington has been accused using pictures of African children and faking stories of them being trafficked to raise money for his ‘charity’ Project Rescue Children. One Kenyan father says he was hurt to find a photo of his son was being used to get sponsors after even though he had died. Full story.
British comedians and actors who say they ‘cannot sit back and do nothing’ after Hurricane Beryl ripped through the Caribbean, are coming together for a show on July 21st to raise money for those left without roofs, clothing and their vital paperwork. Full story.
Sport
A 54-year-old woman diagnosed with uterine and cervical cancer which forced her to have a hysterectomy, has been selected to represent Great Britain in the World Powerlifting Championships. Elaine Jackson from Camberwell Green, London, says she hopes to inspire more women into sport. Full story.
Health
A demonstration was held outside the Nursing and Midwifery Council HQ following the damning independent review into the regulator which revealed its poor treatment of ethnic minority staff. Nurses, midwives and carers shared harrowing testimonies as they protested against systemic racism in healthcare. Full story.
A Black nurse says that after she publicly called out alleged racism on the part of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), she was then allegedly targeted by a complaint. A review into the regulator prompted by an investigation by the Independent found that the NMC failed to address racism. Full story.
Crime
A 17-year-old has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after two people were reportedly stabbed with a sword at a Sikh temple in Gravesend, Kent. In footage from the scene, officers could be seen restraining a man on the floor who appeared to have blood on his face. Full story.
Inquests
The cause of death of a teenage boy who was spotted in the water at a West Sussex beach “could not be ascertained”, a coroner has said. Samuel Oluwatosin Oluwagbenga was visiting West Wittering with around 50 other students from Uxbridge College when teachers realised he was missing. He was then seen in the water but pronounced dead in hospital. Police are asking for anyone with information to come forward. Full story.
Politics
Muslim and LGBTQ+ constituents say they would “feel uneasy approaching their new MPs including Nigel Farage” since Reform UK won seats in the recent general election. One woman said she felt that the results “had empowered people to express racist views.” Full story
A Labour MP was forced to return to parliament to be sworn in again after altering the oath in protest against the monarchy. Clive Lewis was told by parliamentary authorities that he faced potentially not being able to vote, receive a salary and that he could even face a byelection “if legal action was taken against him under the Parliamentary Oaths Act.” Full story.
Legal
A family has slammed the Crown Prosecution Service after a lorry driver who caused a crash which saw a total of four people killed including their mother, only recieved a three-year sentence after making a plea. Jennifer Smith’s children say the sentence “made a mockery” of their mum’s life. Full story.
A man who was sent to prison for stealing a bike when he was 17, has remained there for the last 17 years despite being imprisoned under ‘unjust’ sentencing that was abolished by the courts in 2012. In order to be released, Wayne Bell must prove he has been rehabiliated however, he has no access to the courses to do so and his family don’t know which prison he is in. Full story.
The mother of a nine-year-old girl who died after having a fatal asthma attack from excessive air pollution near where she lived in Lewisham, London, has said she wants an “official apology for her daughter’s suffering.” Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah currently is suing three government departments. Full story.
Education
Former Spice Girl, Melanie Brown also known as Mel B, gave a tearful speech after recieving an honorary doctorate for domestic abuse campaigning. The star who made claims of suffering abuse in her 2018 memoir Brutally Honest, has since advocated for victims. Her ex-husband Stephen Belafonte has repeatedly denied the allegations. Full story.
World News
Bangladesh has been cut off from the rest of the world following a telecommunications blackout imposed by the government following protests between students and security forces over the country’s job quota system. The AFP news agency has reported that 39 people have been killed this week. Full story.
A Palestinian man with severe Down syndrome was “left to die” by Israeli soldiers after they unleashed a combat dog which attacked him. Muhammed Bhar’s body was found a week later. Full story
You've reached the end of The Thread.
I hope you feel more informed.
Please leave a like to let me know you find this useful.
Do share the newsletter with anyone who also wants to be informed and help The Thread grow. Don’t gatekeep the news people.
You can also follow me on X (formerly known as Twitter) @melissasigodo
The next podcast will be out next week so stay tuned.
If you have any thoughts on the stories featured, share them with me and I’ll highlight them on the next episode.