Operation Shutdown parents’ group complains Theresa May has ignored requests for consultation
Operation Shutdown, a parents-driven protest group demanding measures to combat knife-crime, plans to camp for a full week later this month outside the Home Office to draw attention to the failure of the Prime Minister and Home Secretary to engage with their concerns.
The group staged a sit-in protest to shut down a section of London on 17 April and present their agenda to the government.
A press release issued by the group explains:
On the 23rd April 2019, #OPERATIONSHUTDOWN wrote to the Prime Minister Theresa May and other relevant politicians and party leaders, formally outlining and issuing our 15 demands to date, that include a COBRA meeting immediately.
Since this formal statement was sent to the UK Prime Minister and to these other public servants, we have yet to receive a formal response.
OPERATIONSHUTDOWN demand of Her Majesty’s Government an initial COBRA meeting, to get cross departmental government ministers together, to properly deal with this public health emergency and crisis, which is the worse violence on record, since record keeping began; a damning indictment of this current Government. The primary duty of the Government is to protect its citizens from foreign and domestic threats, but there is no protection for citizens from the increase in and impact of knife crime, serious violence and murder.
We have seen COBRA used for: the Foot and Mouth disease outbreak, the Westminster bridge terror attack, the air strikes on Libya and the evacuation of Britons, the 2011 riots, the 2012 threat of fuel shortages, plus many more urgent issues. We insist that this serious violence and knife crime epidemic is still not being effectively tackled as the national emergency it is; All while the death toll continues to rise, communities are increasingly terrified and families are being left bereaved, devastated and heartbroken on a weekly basis.A COBRA is a way of ensuring security, intelligence, police, emergency services, plus whomever is needed for the nature of this crisis itself, such as health, education, justice and early years, all brought together in one place to start communicating very rapidly with one another. The type of #COBRANOW we are advocating would plan holistically, a ten year plus, long term public health approach, that includes prevention, early intervention and the disruption of violence and criminal behaviour.
Crucially it should put into effect an immediate, short and mid term contingency plan of action, to deal with the immediate and severe threat to life and limb; that exists and is evident across the UK. This approach and commitment would require substantial funding and time invested by Government; in the long term saving money.
Our next protest will be held outside the Home Office, where we will peacefully reside, for a whole week from 12 noon on Monday 27th May until Sunday 2nd June.
We hope that turning up at the Home Secretary’s place of work, will convince him and the Prime Minister to engage, so we can start a productive and meaningful relationship, working together to better tackle this emergency head on; removing all barriers between the grassroots and decision makers; but most importantly with those directly affected by knife crime, serious violence and murder.
More information to be announced shortly on the week long activities and events that will form part of our peaceful occupation and residency outside the Home Office.
Contact media spokespersons Lucy and Elaine at: info@operationshutdown.co.uk
The SKWAWKBOX needs your support. This blog is provided free of charge but depends on the generosity of its readers to be viable. If you can afford to, please click here to arrange a one-off or modest monthly donation via PayPal or here for a monthly donation via GoCardless. Thanks for your solidarity so this blog can keep bringing you information the Establishment would prefer you not to know about.
If you wish to reblog this post for non-commercial use, you are welcome to do so – see here for more.
Clearly, a holistic approach is needed. Unfortunately, convincing austerity addicts to do anything more than window dressing is impossible. They’ll come up with something like encouraging a start-up fake NGO to.”help communities do more with less”…..Someone will get a medal from Prince Charles, some people will get rich, the criminal justice economy will grow and nothing whatsoever will change.
High unemployment; the ‘gig’ economy; low social mobility; youth culture based on ‘gangsta rap’ & violence; unfortunately it’s become ‘cool’ to be stupid.
The only certainty I see is that the Tories won’t spend anything like enough to effect change.
Gang culture typically revolves around selling drugs and the music that glamorises the culture – when young people’s lives are constrained by poverty – as they increasingly are under this corrupt authoritarian austerity government – why would we be surprised that they see music or drugs as a way out?
Why would they care what society wants from them when it completely disregards their welfare?