Ely Arrests: Filmmaker Boots Riley Among Names Calling For Amnesty |

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An open letter calling for amnesty for the young people of Ely has been signed by over 50 organisations, researchers and individuals, including acclaimed Hollywood Director Boots Riley (Sorry to Bother You).

It comes after several teenagers, some as young as fifteen, have been arrested following the tragic deaths of two teenagers in the area and the unrest that unfolded.

Sending their deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Harvey Evans and Kyrees Sullivan, the letter goes on to state that:

“The unrest seen in Ely was an understandable emotional reaction to a tragedy that may or may not have been directly caused by the actions of South Wales Police.

The 8 of the 9 who have so far been charged with riot are all teenagers, and most of them are under 16.

Criminalising these young people, and destroying their futures, at a time when the community as a whole is grieving a terrible loss is something that makes no sense.”

Since the letter was written, arrests have now increased to 20.

The signatories call for the First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford MS to make a statement seeking amnesty for the young people, and is equally addressed to the Crown Prosecution Service, calling on them to drop the cases.

The authors say that handing serious charges to children and young people will impact the course of their whole lives, and could see them face up to 10 years in prison.

They say that the young people of Ely now risk being punished while the police officers who chased two young people before their deaths walk free.

Several of the authors of the letter have supported young relatives and friends who have been imprisoned over many years, and have witnessed the devastating effect criminalisation has on the lives of young people.

Meanwhile, testimony from the community has highlighted the lack of compassion and heavy-handedness of the police following the death of Harvey and Kyrees. This was following the conviction of family and friends that South Wales Police had caused the deaths by pursuing the two teens on their e-bike.

Dr Dan Evans, one of the signatories said that, “Criminalising these frustrated young people will solve nothing. It will simply perpetuate social exclusion and marginalisation.”

Another, Cyhoeddiadau’r Stamp, said: “We cannot ignore what the community in Ely are going through at this time, and we stand in solidarity with them in their loss. We hope, by signing this open letter, we are adding another voice in support of the calls to prevent further loss from a community which is already experiencing terrible grief, and to prevent further unnecessary harm to the young people there.”

The authors of the letter invite individuals who have been targeted by the police to reach out to them via the email: diffrwyscriafol@gmail.com . Organisations and individuals can also sign the open letter via the same email.

This is the full text of the letter, with the latest list of signatories published below. An updated list of signatories can be found here.

Dear Mark Drakeford and the Crown Prosecution Service,

First of all, we stand with, and send our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Harvey Evans and Kyrees Sullivan in the wake of this terrible tragedy. The pain of losing these boys so young is unimaginable, and we hope you know that we wish to support you in any way possible as you seek justice.

The unrest seen in Ely was an understandable emotional reaction to a tragedy that may or may not have been directly caused by the actions of South Wales Police.

The 8 of the 9 who have so far been charged with riot are all teenagers, and most of them are under 16.

Criminalising these young people, and destroying their futures, at a time when the community as a whole is grieving a terrible loss is something that makes no sense.

The First Minister said that the rioters “must be held accountable”. The police involved in the incident that lead to the deaths of Harvey and Kyrees have so far faced no consequences. The police that provoked such a reaction in the wake of their death have faced no consequences either.

However (at the time of writing) 9 young people have been arrested, questioned and now face a serious charge that will change the course of their lives completely, undoubtedly destroy their mental health and could mean they face up to 10 years locked up.

We call for an amnesty for these young people and an end to the criminalisation of the community of Ely in the wake of these riots.

The lives of the family, friends and wider community of the kids who have lost their lives have been changed forever. There is no way to bring them back.

There is no need to inflict more suffering on this community by locking up its young people. Criminalising these 9 who were charged with riot will of course, ruin their lives, and decimate the lives of their families. It will create more pain and suffering in a community that has suffered enough from the “criminal justice system”‘ actions.

We the undersigned call on the First Minister Mark Drakeford to make a statement calling for an amnesty, promising no more arrests and for the Crown Prosecution to drop the charges against those who have already been arrested.

Signed,

Boots Riley, The Coup and Writer/Director of “Sorry to Bother You”

Bethan Sayed

Alex S. Vitale, Author of The End of Policing, Coordinator of the Policing and Social Justice Project and Professor of Sociology at Brooklyn College.

Trans Aid Cymru

Network for Police Monitoring (Netpol)

Cardiff University Universities and Colleges Union (UCU)

Bristol Copwatch

Not one Rouge Cop

Splo-Down, Community Food Coop in Splott

Cytgord Cymru

Harmony Party UK