Mina Agyepong (right) and 12-year-old Kai

• YOUR coverage of armed police arresting a 12-year-old enabled his mother Mina Agyepong to courageously speak out against this terrifying ordeal, (Met police accused of ‘lack of empathy’ over response to armed arrest, July 30).

The borough commander’s Twitter defence of the raid, describing Kai Agyepong as a “subject” speaks volumes.

The family’s fears are justified: black people are twice as likely to be shot by police. Since 1990 1,746 people have been killed in police and immigration custody – a disproportionate number are people of colour.

We are six times more likely to be handcuffed, and four times more likely to be tasered than white people. Stop-and-search is a pervasive, racist, weapon.

No wonder mothers worry constantly about it escalating into life-threatening incidents.

We just published Women’s Demands for Black Lives Matter, including calling to abolish stop-and-search, shoot to kill, tasers and lethal restraints.

The BLM movement gives us power to call out police violence, and political cynicism.

We have Sir Keir Starmer “taking the knee” followed by comments dismissing BLM as a “moment” and calls to defund the police as “nonsense”. He announced his support for the police “very, very strong”.

Sir Keir’s silence about widespread attacks on Muslims and people of colour (including his own MPs) is deafening while his outbursts about anti-Semitism in the Labour Party, elevate anti-Semitism over every other form of discrimination.

People of colour are suffering 24/7. Black Lives Matter says Palestinian lives matter too.

Labour’s leadership seems determined to suppress the membership’s massive support for Palestinian rights by implying that such support is anti-Semitic.

Sir Keir’s disrespect for black lives is driving black people, the most loyal Labour voters, to leave the party.

As joint BAME officers for Hampstead & Kilburn Constituency Labour Party, we resigned last week. We cannot stay in a party where anti-racists and our people are maligned, and racists emboldened.

Our resignation letter is on the Women of Colour Network website here.

There’s no justice or liberation for anyone unless the boot of racist police and occupiers is taken from our necks everywhere.

CRISTEL AMISS & SARA CALLAWAY
Women of Colour GWS, NW5