Local Green campaigner Sian Berry joined civil liberties champions and musicians in a joint letter to the Equality and Human Rights Commission this week, opposing the use of discriminatory questions about music events in a form used by the Met Police – Form 696.
This is an important issue for Camden Town and Kentish Town, which both have a strong culture and history of live music.
The open letter, which was also published in the Guardian, was organised by Sunny Hundal of the Liberal Conspiracy website and objects to questions in Form 696 about the genre of music played at gigs, which can be used to ethnically profile events and discriminate against bands and promoters.
The letter says:
“We write to raise our concerns over the Metropolitan police’s use of form 696 to collect information about, and in some cases restrict, live events across London.
“Form 696 has already been criticised by the music industry as an unnecessary piece of bureaucracy that will make it more difficult to hold small and impromptu live events. We are also deeply concerned that form 696 has the potential to be misused by the police to discriminate against ethnic minorities. The signs are not positive since the police have already indicated an interest in the racial profile of people attending.
“Though this question was removed after an outcry, the form still asks what music style will be performed (focusing on styles disproportionately popular with minorities), as well as its target audience.
“Anecdotal evidence already suggests that the Met is restricting events aimed at ethnic minorities and making it harder for Londoners to enjoy a diverse range of music.
“There is now the danger that police services across the country will adopt this measure and further entrench this illiberal and potentially racist practice. (One London council has already invoked prevention of terrorism in its licensing guidelines for live events.)”
The letter was also signed by Feargal Sharkey, head of musicians’ representatives UK Music, journalist Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, Sian’s fellow former London Mayor candidate Brian Paddick, Green London Assembly Member Darren Johnson and Hornsey & Wood Green LibDem MP Lynne Featherstone.
Read the full letter in the Guardian here
