Displaying items by tag: London

Plans for a new Holocaust memorial and learning centre in Westminster are currently being strongly opposed. The plans, first announced by David Cameron in 2016, have the backing of every major UK Jewish organisation and 170+ politicians from all political parties. A growing number of people in this country, especially the younger generation, know nothing or very little about the Holocaust, so a vital education centre for that generation risks being lost. The memorial will use 7% of the park, with the education centre underground. Whilst many genuinely oppose the construction without discriminatory motives, there is evidence of anti-Semitism from some opponents. A petition to save the memorial has been posted online, because it ‘could be stopped if we fail to act before the end of March.’

A Twitter video of a street preacher’s arrest in London has been viewed over 1.8 million times. It shows the man confronted by two police officers warning he would be arrested for a breach of the peace if he refuses to leave the area. One said, 'You're disturbing people, you're causing problems, and you're breaching their peace.' The man says, 'I need to tell people Jesus is the only way, the truth and the life’, to which the officer replies, 'I appreciate that, but nobody wants to hear that, they want you to go away’. When the man told his reasons for preaching, they handcuffed him and took his Bible. The preacher said, 'No, no, no, don't take my Bible away!’ It is unclear what he said that triggered the incident. An eyewitness said, ‘This man was preaching and did nothing wrong, he had a hostile person near him.’ He was later released.

On 19 February CSW organised a protest outside Nigeria’s high commission in London, commemorating one year since the abduction of Leah Sharibu. 14-year-old Leah was the sole Christian among 110 girls abducted from their school in Dapchi by a Boko Haram offshoot. While all the other classmates were released the next month following government negotiations, Leah was denied her freedom as she refused to convert as a precondition for her freedom. She has been held in captivity ever since. In September 2018, Boko Haram issued a final ultimatum on her life after executing a fellow hostage. She was eventually spared, but only after the group executed another hostage and declared that Leah and an abducted humanitarian named Alice Ngaddah were to be their slaves for life.

A London church, run by Steve Chalke, is launching an appeal to help the homeless by providing them with Oyster travel cards to offer them some respite from the cold as temperatures worsen. He said, ‘With the cold coming in, some of them will freeze to death. In fact, I know of one man who has frozen to death on the street near here since Christmas.’ The church are encouraging people to donate £20. The first £10 will go directly toward purchasing an Oyster card with adequate credit for rides on public transport and the second to help the longer-term response to homelessness. Chalke explained, ‘They can ride on the night bus, they can sit in the warm, they can get out of the bitter cold. We are also keeping endless cases out of our A&E departments in the already stretched and strained NHS system’. The cards allow people to travel widely on London's public transport.

Research published on 14 November shows that London’s low-emission traffic zone has modestly reduced residents’ exposure to diesel engine pollution, but the better air quality has not brought improved lung health among children. The results suggest that while air pollution levels may be reduced by low emission zones, extra measures are needed to deliver air clean enough to improve health. WHO says that in addition to the pollution problems caused by diesel vehicles, nitrogen oxide - which has been linked to asthma and impaired lung development in children - has become a major problem. Professor Chris Griffiths, who co-led the research, said, ‘In many areas of London, air pollution still remains a major issue’.

On Saturday 1 December the Salvation Army’s Fair Christmas Fayre, now in its eleventh year, will return to London’s Oxford Street. It will feature over 25 unique stalls selling eco-friendly, fairtrade, upcycled, recycled and charity gifts and fashion. The fayre, which will give shoppers a chance to enjoy the sparkle of Christmas in a way that is fair for the world’s poorest people and the planet, will be at Regent Hall, 275 Oxford Street - just a few metres from Oxford Circus. ​​Organiser Hayley Still said: ‘We are delighted once again to bring together a rich variety of ethical traders. The fayre offers shoppers the opportunity to buy high quality Christmas gifts, whilst also making a difference to the lives of others.’

A 16-year-old is reported to have been killed in front of his parents in the Tulse Hill area of London - the fifth stabbing in the city in less than a week and the 119th this year. Local vicar Rev Richard Dormandy said people in the community are struggling to come to terms with what happened. This latest victim was found unconscious in the street, but the paramedics who attended were unable to save him. ‘People carry knives in the mistaken belief that it's going to help them in a time of need. It won't help them - it might actually lead them to murder someone. The police and community organisations, many Christian or church-based, are seeking to address the situation’, said Rev Dormandy. It is time now for Christians to be lights in the darkness. You are invited to fight violence with prayer and to join the ‘Peace on Our Streets’ campaign: see

Allegations of ‘serious corruption and malpractice’ within the Metropolitan Police are being investigated by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). Gross misconduct notices were served on three officers, one of whom is also under criminal investigation, and ‘a number’ of others are being assessed. Investigations are at an early stage and may involve as many as 14 officers, including senior officers who interfered with or curtailed investigations and failed to investigate allegations of wrongdoing. There is also alleged systemic removal of the restrictions of officers under investigation and racial discrimination. According to the Sunday Times, three whistleblowers from the Met told the IOPC that members of the Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS) were shielding officers from a range of allegations. Files have been shredded in the past when allegations of corruption were made, making it hard to prove there was sleaze, bribery or fraud.

On the anniversary of the Grenfell Tower disaster, many survivors describe their inability to forgive and their need to find someone to blame. In the midst of darkness and sorrow Ray’s story stands out. He welcomed seven of his neighbours into his top-floor flat, offering refuge while awaiting rescue. Later it was found that they had sat on his bed, while Ray sat on the floor at their feet. In an inquiry full of sadness and grief, we heard Ray's family describe him as a hero. His actions that night reflect a love that is so often absent from our society. He welcomed his neighbours into his home and gave them a space on his bed as they took their final breath. Ray loved his neighbours as himself.

Serious crime soared in London in the past year, police figures have revealed, with the murder rate up by 44% and youth murder, personal robbery and home burglary all up by about a third. The figures, from the Metropolitan police, also showed a 23% increase in gun crime, a 21% rise in knife crime, and an 18% increase in the number of rapes. They were released just before a meeting of the London assembly’s police and crime committee on 15 May. Its chairman, Steve O’Connell, called the rise ‘unacceptable’ and ‘deeply troubling’. So far in 2018 the Met has launched more than sixty murder investigations, and the increase in violent crime has been reflected in many other urban areas. Sophie Linden, the deputy mayor for policing and crime, defended her office’s record. ‘It’s very, very early days’, she said. ‘We’re talking about knife crime with injury and we’re seeing that stabilising. But every murder is so appalling on the streets of London that there is no complacency here whatsoever.’