Mark Duggan funeral draws large crowd

Man whose fatal shooting by police sparked riots across England is being buried near home in north London Crowds gathered in north London on Friday for the funeral of Mark Duggan, the man whose fatal shooting by police sparked riots that spread around England. The body of the 29-year-old father of four, who died on 4 August , was taken from his parents’ house in Tottenham through the Broadwater Farm estate, where he grew up, to a church in Wood Green. A private service is to be followed by his burial at Wood Green. A reception will be held at Broadwater Farm. Duggan’s family remain highly critical of police, both over the events which left him with a gunshot wound to the chest and what they say was subsequent misinformation and lack of communication from Scotland Yard and the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), which is investigating the incident. The Tottenham MP, David Lammy, has criticised the IPCC for leaving Duggan’s family “floundering” and failing to make it clear to local people that it was independent from the police. Dozens of relatives and friends gathered outside the Duggan family home before the funeral vehicle, a white carriage drawn by four plumed horses, arrived shortly after 10am. Bishop Kwaku Frimpong-Manson, who was to lead the funeral at the New Testament Church of God, called mourners to the carriage. “We are going to stretch our hands towards the casket to thank God for Mark’s life as he begins his heavenly journey,” he said. About 100 people stood on the pavement, the silence broken only by the bishop’s short prayer and quiet sobs from Duggan’s mother. Other people gathered outside Tangmere House, on Broadwater Farm, where Duggan grew up. One local man, wearing a black suit with matching trilby, who did not want to be named, explained that there was a strong sense of community on the estate but also the heavy weight of stigma. “Unless you have grown up here you cannot understand,” he said. “You think if people see this address on a job application you are going to get a job? Even if you have done no wrong you have no hope. The only way you can have hope is to move away.” Large numbers of police remain on duty in the wake of the riots, but the presence at the funeral will be low key and involve local officers. “We have met with Mr Duggan’s parents,” a police spokesman said. “In line with the family’s wishes, the policing will reflect the family’s desire for a local, peaceful and dignified funeral.” Clasford Sterling, a veteran youth worker at the Broadwater Farm Community centre said that, while there was still anger in the area, he did not think there would be any trouble. “Today is all about showing respect for his last journey,” he said. “There is always going to be anger – if people are antagonised and pushed, then we have seen what can happen.” The Duggan family has requested that the media stay outside the church and leave them in peace. Duggan was a passenger in a minicab stopped by police near Tottenham Hale tube station when he was shot. The IPCC initially suggested he had fired at an officer before he was shot, but ballistic tests showed the two bullets fired – one of which killed Duggan while the other lodged in an officer’s radio – were both police issue. Another weapon, a blank-firing pistol which had been converted to use live rounds, was recovered near the scene of the shooting. A march to protest at the death escalated into outbreaks of trouble in Tottenham and Wood Green, which spread into four days of serious riots in many locations around England. An inquest into Duggan’s death at north London coroners’ court heard that he died from a single gunshot wound to the chest. Mark Duggan Police UK riots Peter Walker Hugh Muir Alexandra Topping guardian.co.uk

Posted by on September 9, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.