Calls for Notting Hill Carnival to be moved after sex assaults on police officers

Calls have been made for Notting Hill Carnival to be moved after this year’s celebration saw two female police officers sexually assaulted, a young rapper stabbed to death and more than 200 arrests made.One of the officers was “grabbed around the neck and kissed on the face without her consent”, the Metropolitan Police said, and a man has subsequently been charged with sexual assault.
Florin Matei, 46, from Islington, north London, is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 19 September.The second officer was “surrounded by a group of men who danced and grinded against her”.Despite colleagues coming to her assistance, it was not possible to detain the group at the time and an investigation is under way, the force added.
The chairman of the Met Police Federation, Ken Marsh, described the incidents as “disgusting”.Speaking to LBC’s Nick Ferrari, he said: “Sexually assaulted by numerous males during the carnival… my thoughts go out to that individual right now.”

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He added that officers had “seized dozens of knives” and stopped around “two or three hundred fights” over the weekend.”There were so many of my colleagues injured, assaulted etc, members of the public seriously assaulted,” Mr Marsh said.

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He has called for the carnival to be held in a private area, saying the situation is “absurd” and “cannot continue”.

‘The mayor will be down our throats quicker than you can blink'”It should be in a private area, Hyde Park etc, where it can be fenced off, people can be controlled,” he added.”We don’t have the resources to deal with it. This is tens of millions of pounds of public money that is spent on policing this.”We are left ultimately responsible for it, whatever goes wrong… and the mayor will be down our throats quicker than you can blink if something terrible goes wrong.”The first carnival took place in Notting Hill in 1966 following a period of tension in the area, caused by the racially motivated murder of 32-year-old Antiguan born resident Kelso Cochrane.It was set up as a children’s street fair by community activist Rhaune Laslett and saw the Russ Henderson Steel Band perform through Portobello Road as locals spontaneously danced in the street, according to the carnival’s website.Since then, it has continued to be held in Notting Hill.Read more: Notting Hill Carnival returns with first Adults Day parade since before pandemic

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Crowds at Notting Hill Carnival

Seven stabbings, 209 arrests and father-to-be killedA total of 74 officers were injured during this year’s carnival, with the Met Police saying a number of these injuries were caused by assaults.Seven stabbings were reported to police, with one resulting in the death of a 21-year-old rapper from Bristol, Takayo Nembhard.Known as TKorStretch, the father-to-be was found with stab wounds on Ladbroke Grove on Monday evening.He was treated by emergency services and taken to hospital, where he later died.

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Takayo Nembhard

Read more: Pregnant partner of rapper TKorStretch shares photos of baby bump Across the two days, 209 arrests were made, 33 of which were related to possession of an offensive weapon.Five arrests were made for criminal damage, 36 for possession of drugs and 46 on suspicion of assault.Mr Marsh explained that “98% of people” who attend the carnival are “law-abiding and want to enjoy themselves”.However, he said “there is an element” who go to “cause harm to others”.”That is not stopping, has never stopped and we need to just say enough is enough,” he said.