Bring end to Notting Hill Carnival, say police after rapper is killed and officers attacked
POLICE in London have called for the future of the Notting Hill Carnival to be reviewed after the first event since 2019 was marred by violence, with one person murdered, six others stabbed and dozens of officers assaulted.
More than 200 people were arrested at the west London event, which is the biggest street party in Europe. It had not been held since 2019 because of the pandemic.
Takayo Nembhard, a 21-year-old rap artist who had travelled from Bristol to attend, died after he was stabbed in the Ladbroke Grove area on Monday evening. He was at the carnival with his sister and friends when he was attacked and knifed in the groin. Police and paramedics provided first aid at the scene but he died a short time later in hospital.
Elsewhere, there were six non-fatal stabbings reported and a police source said officers seized a record number of knives after 441 stop and searches. A total of 74 officers were injured, many as a result of assaults, and a female constable was reportedly sexually assaulted after getting separated from colleagues.
In another incident, a woman was knocked to the ground after being punched in the face by a man. Footage of the attack was one of several violent scenes that circulated on social media.
The Metropolitan Police Federation said the event can no longer be justified given the level of violence its officers are subjected to when it takes place.
Ken Marsh, chairman of the federation, said: “For the past two years my colleagues have spent the August bank holiday not being assaulted in large numbers. Why not? Because the Notting Hill Carnival did not take place.
“But today we are having to again face the fallout from policing the event.
“The tragedy is that someone has been killed. But also 34 of my colleagues have been hurt after coming under attack. One female officer was grabbed in a headlock and sexually assaulted.
“This is completely unacceptable. Every year we argue that this event should not take place but we are not listened to.
“There were 11,000 officers on duty across the weekend. For lots of them this was their first experience of policing the carnival and they have been left extremely shocked by what they have seen and been subjected to.”
Roy Ramm, former commander of special operations with the Met, said the event allowed rival drug dealers to incite violence. He told LBC Radio: “The trouble is, these young men, and it is young men, they want to fight, mark out their territory and sell their drugs.
“They are determined to wreck it in the evenings. I think it is for the community to reject this.”
Meanwhile, detectives were investigating the murder of Mr Nembhard, whose girlfriend was pregnant when he died. In a statement, Chris Patrick, his agent, said: “As you can imagine, we are all in shock. He went to carnival with his younger sister and friends to have a good time. This is the worst possible ending for a talented kid.”
Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, said he was “sickened” by the stabbing, adding: “Violence has no place on our streets and we are doing everything in our power to root it out.”
Police said 209 arrests had been made by early yesterday, including 46 for assault, 36 for drug possession, 33 for possessing an offensive weapon, 27 public order offences and eight sexual assaults. There were 35 arrests labelled “other”, 10 for possession of psychoactive substances, seven for drink/drug driving, five for criminal damage, one for theft and one for robbery.