Man shot as mothers lead gun protest!

samizdata.net ^ | Saturday, 30 November, 2002, 15:45 GMT | David Carr (London) did initial post.

[vannrox]

Saturday, 30 November, 2002, 15:45 GMT

Man shot as mothers lead gun protest

Lucy Cope (left) called on the government to act

A young man was shot dead in London hours

before demonstrators held a march to call for tougher sentences for firearm offenders.

The march had to be re-routed away from the crime scene of the early morning shooting outside Pharaoh's Pub in Peckham Road.

Police confirmed one man was killed on the spot and that another was in a stable condition in hospital after the incident.

Supporters of the march, which was organised by Southwark Community Against Guns and supported by Mothers Against Guns, described the shooting as a tragedy which had left another family devastated.

The march was re-routed because of a shooting Mothers Against Guns founding member Lucy Cope said: said: "Another gun killing has now torn apart another family and left another mother heart- broken.

"This latest shooting demonstrates the seriousness of the problem.

"Someone's life has been taken and the government needs to do something stronger that will act as a deterrent."

Ms Cope, who is from Peckham, set the group up after she lost her 22-year-old son, Damian, in a shooting on 29 July this year.

On Saturday Ms Cope walked from Camberwell Green to Peckham Square to highlight the group's campaign for tougher sentences to be given for gun offences.

'Enough is enough'

Among the people on the march were 15 other mothers from all over the country who have lost children in gun-related crimes.

The demonstrators want anyone caught with an illegal firearm sentenced to a minimum jail term of 10 years with no possibility of parole.

Superintendent Ed Bateman, of Southwark Borough Police, estimated that about 50 local people had joined in the march.



Harriet Harman was among the protesters He said: "Today was about the community saying 'no, enough is enough'.

"It is their children who are dying and it is their community which is suffering."

He added: "It is very poignant that on the day the Mothers Against Guns group are marching, a man was killed in a shooting on their route."

Supt Bateman admitted there were increasing concerns in all London communities over the rise in gun crimes, but he said actual numbers remained small, with an estimated 20 gun crimes a month in the Southwark Borough.

Ms Cope was also handing over a petition with an estimated 20,000 signatures to Downing Street.

Harriet Harman MP was among the speakers to address the marchers before a delegation handed over the petition.

[need_a_screen_name]

Nope, swords, like guns, are evil. They have already talked about registering knives -- everything from pocket to kitchen. If they haven't started registering already.

[sneakypete]

Supporters of the march, which was organised by Southwark Community Against Guns

"SCAG's"? LOL!

BTW,that cartoon character with the MAG sign that's wearing the knit cap is hilarious! Obviously a intellectual.

[fourdeuce82d]

Southwark Community Against Guns

SCAG

[Blood of Tyrants]

You just can't make this stuff up.

[Frobenius]

"Mothers Against Guns" = MAG

Gee, they got it close to NAG but no cigar...

[spokeshave]

The one on the left in blue cap and scarf looks like wearing a potters logo

[David Hunter]

Here's another thread about this march.

[Tawiskaro]

Would not the constituents of MAG properly be called "Maggots"?

Maggots and SCAG. Hmmm. Sounds like some sort of pudding.

[David Hunter]

She added: "It is very poignant that on the day the Mothers Against Guns group are marching, a man was killed in a shooting on their route."

No, actually it just shows that your march is stupid, since it proves gun control doesn't work. Next empty-headed piece of emotionally charged gun-grabbers' rhetoric please.

[ccmay]

One need look no farther than some of the hardy stock that settled this country to realise at least those Englishmen knew how to take care of a violence problem

All the good Europeans, or their descendants, live here. Those who loved liberty and had any self-reliance left the old country forever. Those who stayed were the weak, foolish, greedy, and evil, beneficiaries of hereditary privilege and rank as well as their admiring bootlickers, and adherents of ridiculous statist ideologies that have cost millions of lives in this century.

-ccm

[lavaroise]

"Someone's life has been taken and the government needs to do something stronger that will act as a deterrent."

Heehee! Just have the government hire people around to carry guns. It's just the same as gun ownership, with the red tape and the abilities of stranger jurisdictions roaming into the houses of the weaponless. Lady, you might as well give the keys of your safe to the government if you want the government to do something.

[dansangel]

You totally misunderstood my post. Go back and read it. I was quoting the dumb-butt in the article and then proceeded to ridicule it. Sheesh.

[Landru]

"This would have been a perfect example of what is wrong with Gun Control, for the audience most in need of one..."

First off?
This kind of bullcocka's happening in merry ol' England; so, personally I couldn't care less what those Socialists do or don't do to themselves.
The Limey's have made their fruitcake socialist bed & now must get in it so of course they're gonna piss & moan when it blows up in their mugs; after-the-fact.

Rather refreshing to witness a *bit* of richly deserved comeuppance for a change, no?

Now our "job" is to see to it the English-form of Liberal-Socialism -- or any other iteration -- is never permitted to gain a meaningful foothold here, in our beloved nation.
We've sure got our work cutout for us in that regard too as in case you haven't noticed?
We're kind of surrounded, again.
Globally speaking, of course.

That's precisely where the the Limeys went wrong, old man; they left the "door" cracked ever-so-slightly for the socialists & now?
They're paying dearly for their negligence.

...& that's precisely the lesson I'm taking away from this, too.

[Issaquahking]

Guns kill people like a spoon makes people fat! The more laws that England passes against guns, the more shootings that are bound to happen. The government somehow manages to believe that criminals care what the law says?

A more apropriate solution would be to require everyone to own a gun rather that try to take them away,

[lavaroise]

Must be a misunderstanding as I thought it was obvious in my post I was not attacking you but the lady in the article who mentioned that.

[dansangel]

I apologize. Really. The written word is so easily misunderstood. I'd rather have a face-to-face conversation any day.

Sorry.

[irishtenor]

It lookied to me like David Bowie.