UK
A BLACK GUY RECORDED A POLICEMAN BEING RACIST TO HIM
"The problem with you is you will always be a nigger"
Photo via
(via)
This weekend we learned that racism amongst British police is still a "thing", after a depressing recording surfaced in the media. During the riots last summer, a black man from East London was stopped in his car, arrested and put in the back of a police van. The 21-year-old – identified by the Mail (though nowhere else, weirdly) as Mauro Demetrio – used his phone to record the experience. At the start of the recording, he complains about what he feels was heavy-handed treatment from the arresting officers, who apparently kneeled on his chest and strangled him. "You tried to strangle me," he says. The officer in question then replies, "No, I did strangle you," before explaining that this happened because he felt Demetrio was "a cunt", adding: "The problem with you is you will always be a nigger." "You'll always have black skin," Demetrio is told. "Don't hide behind your colour."24 hours after Demetrio had handed in the evidence at a local police station, officers raided his home, seizing a TV and accusing him of being a looter. Demetrio and his family believe it was an attempt to intimidate him into "hushing up".
The Independent Police Complaints Commission referred the case to the Crown Prosecution Service last year, but the CPS decided that no charges should be brought against any of the three police officers present at the time the arrest was made.
The main offender was identified back then as a 52-year-old white PC named Alex MacFarlane. I have no idea why more wasn't made of this at the time, but on Thursday the CPS decided to revisit the incident after Demetrio threatened to challenge the verdict in the High Court.
The Guardian got hold of the recording and interviewed Demetrio, who said he was made to feel "like an animal" by the police. He also alleged that he had reached for the "record" button after another officer started sexually insulting his mother and told him he'd be "dead in five years".
Towards the end of the tape, Demetrio can be heard reciting MacFarlane's badge number. "We'll definitely speak again about this," the 21-year-old's heard to say. "It's gonna go all the way… remember."PC MacFarlane – who the Mail describes as a "keen runner who is approaching retirement" – has been suspended while the inquiry continues.UK
THE GOVERNMENT ARE GONNA MONITOR YOUR PHONES AND YOUR INTERNET
They're planning to snoop on your emails, texts, calls and website visits(via)
The state wants to know more about your life, so it's going to give itself access to your phone and internet records. The government has said these measures are necessary to help tackle crime and terrorism. Civil liberties groups are very annoyed, but since when did anyone listen to civil liberties groups? A government intelligence agency known as GCHQ will be able to ask internet firms for real-time access to our communications, and the internet firms won't be able to say no.Previously, the police and intelligence agencies had to ask for a warrant for any individual they wanted to eavesdrop on.If this law's introduced, they'll be able to spy on all of us without needing to seek a warrant. Interestingly, the Tories themselves opposed the introduction of a similar law when the last Labour government tried to push it through. A Tory MP named David Davis has criticised the plans, saying it's "an unnecessary extension of the ability of the state to snoop on ordinary people".Travel
A PLANE CRASHED IN SIBERIA
Thirty-one people have been killed(via)
Thirty-one people have lost their lives after a Russian plane burst into flames and crashed in a snowy field shortly after take-off in Siberia. The 12 survivors have been taken to hospital, and at least five of them are in a critical condition according to the state-run RIA news agency. It's not clear yet what caused the crash, which happened at around 1.35AM GMT Monday morning.Music
VIVA BROTHER SPLIT UP
The band announced it on April Fool's Day but apparently they're not joking(via)
Slough "gritpop" quartet Viva Brother have announced their split on Twitter.They told the world they were calling it quits shortly after midday on Sunday, April 1st, leading many to believe it was an April Fool's prank.But it wasn't.They posted one last song to YouTube as a way to say bye bye.Slough will be a lot quieter for their absence.Sports
STUPID OWN GOAL OF THE WEEK
That's why outfield players shouldn't wear the "1" shirt(via)
Chad's Hassan Hissein got his karmic reward for wearing the number 1 shirt when he embarrassed himself in a match against Egypt.
A BLACK GUY RECORDED A POLICEMAN BEING RACIST TO HIM
"The problem with you is you will always be a nigger"
This weekend we learned that racism amongst British police is still a "thing", after a depressing recording surfaced in the media. During the riots last summer, a black man from East London was stopped in his car, arrested and put in the back of a police van. The 21-year-old – identified by the Mail (though nowhere else, weirdly) as Mauro Demetrio – used his phone to record the experience. At the start of the recording, he complains about what he feels was heavy-handed treatment from the arresting officers, who apparently kneeled on his chest and strangled him. "You tried to strangle me," he says. The officer in question then replies, "No, I did strangle you," before explaining that this happened because he felt Demetrio was "a cunt", adding: "The problem with you is you will always be a nigger." "You'll always have black skin," Demetrio is told. "Don't hide behind your colour."
Annons
THE GOVERNMENT ARE GONNA MONITOR YOUR PHONES AND YOUR INTERNET
They're planning to snoop on your emails, texts, calls and website visits
Annons
The state wants to know more about your life, so it's going to give itself access to your phone and internet records. The government has said these measures are necessary to help tackle crime and terrorism. Civil liberties groups are very annoyed, but since when did anyone listen to civil liberties groups? A government intelligence agency known as GCHQ will be able to ask internet firms for real-time access to our communications, and the internet firms won't be able to say no.Previously, the police and intelligence agencies had to ask for a warrant for any individual they wanted to eavesdrop on.If this law's introduced, they'll be able to spy on all of us without needing to seek a warrant. Interestingly, the Tories themselves opposed the introduction of a similar law when the last Labour government tried to push it through. A Tory MP named David Davis has criticised the plans, saying it's "an unnecessary extension of the ability of the state to snoop on ordinary people".Travel
A PLANE CRASHED IN SIBERIA
Thirty-one people have been killed(via)
Thirty-one people have lost their lives after a Russian plane burst into flames and crashed in a snowy field shortly after take-off in Siberia. The 12 survivors have been taken to hospital, and at least five of them are in a critical condition according to the state-run RIA news agency. It's not clear yet what caused the crash, which happened at around 1.35AM GMT Monday morning.
Annons
VIVA BROTHER SPLIT UP
The band announced it on April Fool's Day but apparently they're not joking(via)
Slough "gritpop" quartet Viva Brother have announced their split on Twitter.They told the world they were calling it quits shortly after midday on Sunday, April 1st, leading many to believe it was an April Fool's prank.But it wasn't.They posted one last song to YouTube as a way to say bye bye.Slough will be a lot quieter for their absence.Sports
STUPID OWN GOAL OF THE WEEK
That's why outfield players shouldn't wear the "1" shirt(via)
Chad's Hassan Hissein got his karmic reward for wearing the number 1 shirt when he embarrassed himself in a match against Egypt.