Hundreds march in protest over tragic schoolgirl
Activists mark one-year anniversary of day Somali refugee Shukri Abdi drowned in the River Irwell, writes Amy Walker
ONE year on since the tragic death of 12-year-old Shukri Abdi and many still want answers for what happened on that day in June.
Shukri, a pupil at Broad Oak Sports College in Bury, sadly drowned in the River Irwell near Bury town centre on June 17 last year.
During an inquest earlier in the year, her mum said that her daughter was born in a Kenyan refugee camp to Somalian parents, before moving to the UK in January 2017.
However, questions have been raised into the police investigation, prompting a campaign calling for a probe into bullying at the school.
Yesterday across Manchester city centre, hundreds came together in solidarity with the Shukri’s family and the campaign, and in a unique moment, were met by protesters from Black Lives Matter and Trans Lives Matter.
One of the organisers said: “Bullying should not be something we condone in any aspect of life, whether it’s work, school or social gatherings.
“I need us all to make a pledge today to stand together and protect each other, to speak out and make sure whenever someone is uncomfortable or feels vulnerable, that we all stand together and make sure they aren’t vulnerable.
“We’re here to remember Shukri, we’re here to make sure that her voice is heard today, we’re going to make sure we put the right pressure on the right authorities, and to make sure we do get our justice.”
Other speakers came forward to tell the crowd of their connection to Shukri and her family and talk about their struggles with systemic racism in the UK.
Another speaker said: “We’re showing courage here today by standing up for Shukri. But we can’t rely on hope to get justice, we must demand it.
“We must demand justice.” A march began at around 2pm with protesters walking towards Piccadilly Gardens, with a small presence of police officers walking alongside and redirecting traffic.
The route continued down Market Street, where shoppers watched and filmed the protest, some clapped in encouragement and others joined in with the chanting.
A minute of silence was also held in memory of Shukri.
One of the protesters, Fadumo, aged 24, told the M.E.N: “The reason why we are all here today, the reason why we came together, is because we can see ourselves in Shukri.
“The fact that she’s from our community and faced such an injustice, we felt like we had an obligation to come out and do something for her, to get her story heard and to get other communities hearing her story as well.”
The inquest heard that hours before death, Shukri was pushed around by two children who were with her when she drowned.
Greater Manchester Police have said that this was an ‘incredibly challenging incident’ and there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding her death.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct are investigation GMPs handling of the case.
They will be examining allegations that officers ‘prematurely concluded’ that her death was not suspicious and that her family were treated less favourably because of their ethnic background.
The investigation has since been concluded and shared with GMP and her family.
In an interview with the family’s lawyer, Attic Malik, he said: “It’s been really reassuring for the family, the huge turnout, especially in Manchester, their hometown.
“It’s really touching to them that so many people have taken the trouble to come out and remember Shukri and support their campaign.”