By DAVID RENTON. Published by Defend the Right to Protest. Out June 1st. £2.
Preview in London Review of Books: http://www.lrb.co.uk/v36/n10/david-renton/the-killing-of-blair-peach
“David Renton’s long-awaited analysis of this tragedy and the fight for justice for Blair’s family reminds us all that there can be no peace when there is no justice.” LESLIE THOMAS QC barrister who acted for Mark Duggan and Azelle Rodney
“Blair Peach was a good citizen. He was murdered by the British police because he embraced the Asians in Southall as part of the British citizenry. A police baton crashed into his skull. He died. We will always remember him and celebrate a decent and honourable man.” DARCUS HOWE writer and anti-racist activist
“A fitting way to mark the 35th anniversary and reaffirm the purpose of protest” DAVID RANSOM, author, ‘The Blair Peach case: Licence to kill’
About the Pamphlet: Blair Peach was a 33 year old teacher killed on a demonstration on 23 April 2022 at Southall against the National Front. He is one of just three protesters to have been killed by the police in Britain since 1945. He died from a single blow to his head by a police officer, as Peach was retreating from a protest which had finished. In 2010, following Ian Tomlinson’s death, the government published the Cass report into Peach’s killing. Cass identified the six police officers who were present when the fatal blow was struck, and recommended that three of them should be prosecuted for obstructing his enquiry. The Cass report was never disclosed to the Inquest into Peach’s death, and its central reports were kept hidden for 30 years from the jury, from the press, and from Blair Peach’s family. This new pamphlet by David Renton sets out why exactly Cass reached his conclusions, how his reasoning casts a light on the identity of Peach’s killer, and calls for a fresh inquest into Blair Peach’s killing.
About the author: David Renton a barrister and a member of the committees of Defend the Right to Protest and the Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers.
With introductions by: Susan Matthews mother of Aflie Meadows and Secretary of DtRtP Balwinder Rana chief steward for the anti-NF demonstration, Southall 1979 Richard Harvey barrister to the Anti Nazi League at the inquest into Blair Peach’s death Soren Goard one of the Anti-Fascist Five acquitted in April 2014
London Review of Books: Excerpts of our forthcoming pamphlet appear in the current issue of LRB “The Killing of Blair Peach”: http://www.lrb.co.uk/v36/n10/david-renton/the-killing-of-blair-peach