BY JOYCE FAIRCHILD

MANCHESTER, England - "Justice for Amer Rafiq. No justice no peace!"

These were the angry chants of 1,500 protesters who marched on April 9 to demand justice for 21-year-old Amer Rafiq. The Manchester police arrested Rafiq in the early hours of the morning on February 21 in the Rusholme community, during the Muslim festival of Eid. After his arrest, the cops beat Rafiq with such brutality that he lost one of his eyes and is in danger of being blinded in the other.

The Amer Rafiq Defence Campaign, organized out of the Pakistani Community Centre, produced a leaflet that explained, "Over the past few years, police harassment of people celebrating Eid has become a regular feature in Manchester. Many men and women have been manhandled. Police dogs have been let loose and have bitten passersby. Horses, riot squads and helicopters have at times been used to disperse peaceful gatherings in and around Rusholme. The tragedy for Amer Rafiq was a disaster waiting to happen and was the result of heavy handedness by a racist police force.

"As one of Amer's sisters said it is imperative that this incident is not brushed under the carpet. While Amer is lucky to be alive, the outcome for many other black people following such police action is death in custody. To date, in Amer's case, let alone any officer being charged, no one has even been suspended."

The demonstration attracted many youth and others from the Asian community in Manchester. Protesters marched past the many Asian restaurants in Rusholme where the arrest took place, and where Rafiq worked as a waiter. Many of the restaurants closed as a gesture of respect as the march passed. Some waiters came out to join a minute's silence as the names were read of some of those who had been killed as a result of racist attacks and in police custody in Britain.

Speaking at the rally following the march, Tariq Mahmoud from the defense campaign said, "It's not complicated. Amer had two eyes when he was arrested; after he had one.... Amer's case will not end tomorrow or until we get at least some of the culprits punished."

Anandi, a representative of a group of young Asian women who had helped build and steward the march, also spoke at the rally. She said, "Countless women have suffered police brutality, it affects us all. Irish people have suffered, working people have suffered, African people have suffered. We need to stand together."

"The police should be suspended, they get away with it all the time," said Mavis Oguntoye, one of the demonstrators. "It happens too often. If we had done it to one of them we wouldn't have a leg to stand on."

Saddas Nisar said, "I don't think there was any motive. I'm very disgusted at what the police did. The police should be suspended. Nothing will get his eye back. It happened because the police are racist."

Fifty people turned up to the first meeting of the Amer Rafiq defense committee the week following the march.  
 
 
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