London: Memorial event for victims of knife crime

Choose Life - Drop the Knife

Victims of knife crime in London were remembered at a memorial event held at St Mellitus Church, Tollington Park, in north London on Saturday 12 July. Fifty names were read out, and candles lit in memory of those young people: all under 30, many of them teens, of all ethnicities, and all leaving grief-stricken family and friends to cope with such devastating and senseless violence. Fifty, representing hundreds across London, murdered in recent years.

Parishioners of St Mellitus church, including some bereaved parents, were joined by leaders of the Finsbury Park Mosque, and Wightman Road Mosque, politicians, and partner organisations such as Caritas Westminster.

Sandra Campbell, CEO of Word 4 Weapons, described being a parent as 'the hardest job in the world', and identified with the difficulty of making choices which would best protect their children. Her charity installed (and empties regularly) a weapons disposal bin on the forecourt at St Mellitus. Word 4 Weapons has helped to remove tens of thousands of weapons from circulation, and is receiving an unprecedented number of new requests for bins from all over the country.

Speakers focussed on practical responses to knife crime, honouring the victims' memory 'not just with silence, but with purpose' - as Islington Councillor Anjna Khurana put it. Islington Council 'has been involved in the introduction of knife bins, "No Knife Shops" policies, and trauma-informed approaches to prevention and rehabilitation'. The Council supports local initiatives like the Targeted Youth Support service, parenting programmes, and the Ben Kinsella Trust, which offer young people positive alternatives and hope.

'There's lots for me to do as Member of Parliament, and there's lots for us to do as a community,' said Catherine West, MP for Hornsey and Friern Barnet. At a recent meeting with knife crime specialists from the Metropolitan Police, her team had learned details about the glamorisation of knives online, how knives are sourced through online platforms, and about illegal knives getting into the UK through false shipping declarations.

A previous commitment kept Jeremy Corbyn, MP for Islington North, from attending the commemoration, but he sent a strong message to the gathering. 'Essentially, we can only defeat knife crime through education, understanding, and a sense of community that makes sure that all young people have purposeful activities and options available to them in the crucial hours after school each day and during their free time.'

All the guest speakers concurred. Tackling knife crime requires a multi-faceted approach, including remedial actions, legislation and policing, but fundamentally a shift away from our violent culture. 'As a community, we all must play our part to foster a culture of respect and nonviolence,' said Councillor Khurana.

In this process the Church has deep truths to offer, as outlined during the Mass celebrated earlier for all victims of violence in London. 'Anything that happens to any of us affects all of us… How do I live, in the world, that interconnectedness?' asked Spiritan Father Pascal, as he viewed the day's ceremony in the context of opposing all forms of violence and choosing life. 'We all stand for life; we stand in solidarity with one another with an act of respect to human life and dignity. That is the cry, the longing and hope of our shared humanity.'

LINKS

Caritas Westminster - www.caritaswestminster.org.uk/

Word4Weapons - www.word4weapons.co.uk/