Published:
7:00 AM January 20, 2021
Updated:
9:02 AM January 20, 2021
Protesters in Roman Road in the summer signing a petition against the council s street barrier scheme
- Credit: Mike Brooke
The controversial programme of street closures under way across the East End is being challenged at Tower Hamlets Council tonight (Jan 20) as “racist discrimination” that’s dividing communities.
Barriers have been erected during the lockdown aimed at banishing traffic permanently from parts of Shoreditch around Arnold Circus, from Bethnal Green by Columbia Road flower market and from Bow around Roman Road Market.
No cars. how Tower Hamlets Council envisages the Roman Road
- Credit: LBTH
Dangerous role models: Police specialist squads and gang policing between Nigeria, America and the UK
Dangerous role models: Police specialist squads and gang policing between Nigeria, America and the UK
January 13 2021 Comment
defending stop and search, said that some young people were failing to distinguish between the actions of police forces overseas in America and Nigeria and those of police officers here in the UK.
But far from young people being confused, as Cressida Dick implies, they are increasingly aware of just how globally interconnected policing is today, and that
British police technologies and training continue to play a worrying role in its former colonies, such as Nigeria. There is indeed a connective tissue, both historical and contemporary,
In the video, Gabriella and Elika discuss what they miss most about their mum and dad respectively.
Gabriella explained how she most misses her mother at night, when she “cries”. The families have worked together campaigning, and Richard said meeting someone like Elika, who was going through a similar trauma, helped Gabriella.
Richard and Gabriella Ratcliffe with Belsize councillor Luisa Porritt at the Free Nazanin Christmas tree.
- Credit: Polly Hancock
This is the fifth year that Richard, Nazanin and Gabriella have been separated at Christmas.
Richard said: Christmas is quite a landmark and it s quite a family landmark - there s all these family expectations and family films and lots of talking in school.
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s daughter has said she wants “mummy home for Christmas” to give her a “cuddle” as the family prepare for their fifth Christmas apart.
The 41-year-old British-Iranian dual national has been detained in Iran since 2016, when she was sentenced to five years in prison over allegations, which she denies, of plotting to overthrow the Iranian government.
Her six-year-old daughter, Gabriella, has written a card to the Prime Minister asking him to bring home her mother, who turns 42 on Boxing Day.
Writing in a Christmas card, decorated with a Santa hat, Gabriella writes: “Dear Boris Johnson, please can you bring my mummy home for Christmas.