On the 25th of June 2020, nearly one year on since the death of Shukri Abdi, the Birmingham Branch of the Revolutionary Communist Group supported a demo called by the Justice 4 Shukri campaign. In June 2019, the 12-year-old Shukri’s body was found in a river in Bury, Greater Manchester. Despite circumstances around her death that would usually be cause for further inquiry, the Greater Manchester police quickly dismissed the case as a tragic incident. As was pointed out by many people at the demo, it isn’t atypical for people of colour to have the police not take them as seriously. Especially for first or second-generation migrants. Ths is a manifestation of state racism which the protestors, largely Muslims and Somalis, called out in front of the West Midlands police station.
Shukri and her mother, Zamzam Arab Ture, are refugees originally from Somalia. British imperialism has helped to create the conditions that Shukri and many like her have had to leave. In just the past 10 years, the British state has been influencing Somalia’s constitution, military, borders, parliament and more under the guise of aid and development. All directly leading to endemic famines and war in the region. Oil, food and other resources are extracted and the super-exploitation of cheap labour leads to super-profits for the imperialists. More of our coverage of the situation in Somalia can be found here.
The protest, in an example of grassroots democracy, had an open megaphone for anybody to come and speak. Their speeches – unfiltered and supported by the demonstrators – were passionate, angry and informed. They made connections to the ways that refugees in Britain are treated generally; ignored by the police, threatened with deportation or heald in prison conditions for no crime. Our comrade’s speech can be heard here:
Shukri, her family and many others were failed by the global system of capitalism in its imperialist phase. Then they were failed by the police; a racist instrument of imperialist power within the imperialist nation itself. Whatever the outcome of the inquiry, which is ongoing at the time of writing, the British state has a lot to answer for.
Justice for Shukri Abdi! Hands off Somalia! Shut down Britain’s racist immigration prisons!
We hold regular meetings and street events aimed at fighting racism and imperialism. Click ‘join the RCG’ or follow our branch on Facebook to ask about supporting or getting involved. Birmingham RCG events
