The organiser of the vandalised Brixton exhibition honouring the Windrush Generation and their descendants has made a formal complaint to the police watchdog over how the attack on the 20 images in Windrush Square was handled.
Ros Griffiths, who brought together the exhibition, Windrush Untold Stories, said the “deliberate act of destruction” had been met with “institutional failures, contradictory statements, and a disturbing lack of urgency”.
Griffiths, whose own portrait was, like the other 19, scarred with a sharp instrument, is chair of the Friends of Windrush Square and organised the recent highly successful third Big Caribbean Lunch in the square.
Home Office minister Seema Malhotra was a member of a group examining damage to the exhibition on Sunday who heard from witnesses that police officers had attempted to clean paint from the images early on Thursday (3 July) morning while the alleged perpetrator was present.
He was not arrested until the following Saturday.
The Metropolitan Police said in a statement: “The officers who first responded to the incident attempted to remove the paint in order to prevent permanent or further damage to the exhibition. The suspect remained on scene.”
In her complaint to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) Griffiths said the incident took place in “a public space of deep historical significance for Black British communities”.
She said that, despite police being alerted on Thursday morning, the suspect was not arrested until the following Saturday (6 July) – “a delay that directly contradicts the Met’s public statement describing the investigation as ‘swift’.
“During that delay, the perpetrator was witnessed at the crime scene, and even assisted by officers.
“We were informed by three separate eyewitnesses that Lambeth police officers were seen collecting water from a nearby McDonald’s and helping the perpetrator clean up the damage at the scene – an individual they would later arrest on suspicion of vandalism,” said Griffiths.
“This extraordinary action raises serious questions: why were police assisting someone who was, at that point, a suspect in a criminal investigation?”
She said a public statement that the Metropolitan police did “not believe the incident to be a hate crime” is deeply troubling, asking “On what basis was this conclusion reached?”
She said the police claim still to be “investigating the circumstances,” yet have already stated a belief that hate was not a motive.
“How can such an assumption be made while an investigation is ongoing? It is both premature and undermining.”
Griffiths’ complaint says that the delay between the police being notified and making the arrest had undermined confidence in the investigation’s integrity and was not consistent with the Met’s claim of urgency.
She said that individuals featured in the exhibition were not approached for statements or offered support, despite their images being desecrated.
Griffiths also raised the issue of CCTV footage of the incident. Both police and Lambeth council cameras cover Windrush Square, but police have been unwilling to share any footage with the people most affected by the attack.
“We formally request the right to view and verify CCTV footage from Windrush Square and the surrounding area, to confirm the police response timeline, and to ensure evidence is being preserved correctly,” Griffiths’ complaint states.
It says that the act of vandalism took place in Windrush Square, Brixton – an area historically associated with Black British struggle and resistance and that one of the defaced images was that of Lee Lawrence, whose mother, Cherry Groce, was shot by police in 1985.
“That officers failed to act with cultural sensitivity or acknowledge the symbolic harm caused is unacceptable,” the complaint says.
“Whether the individual responsible is Black, white, or brown, hate against Black people has often been perpetuated by those who have been misinformed, misled or indoctrinated. That officers showed compassion to the perpetrator and not the victims echoes past injustices and further damages trust.”
Griffiths concludes: “This case must be taken seriously. The Lambeth police’s conduct in this matter demands urgent, independent scrutiny.”
She is seeking a meeting with the police involving herself; Seema Malhotra; local MP Helen Hayes, who has been in contact with the victims; and a selection of the people directly impacted by the attack.
The complaint includes a summary of requests to the IOPC:
- Investigate why the incident was not immediately classified and investigated as a hate crime;
- Investigate the appropriateness of officers assisting the suspect to clean up the scene of the crime;
- Clarify the timeline of police response and arrest;
- Examine all decisions made in communication and victim engagement;
- Review the handling and preservation of evidence, including CCTV footage;
- Provide access to relevant CCTV footage from 3 to 6 July for community verification;
- Determine whether the suspect has any prior history of similar offences, particularly targeting racialised subjects or imagery;
- Meet with the exhibition organisers and other relevant parties to support the inquiry with first-hand testimony and evidence.
An appeal for funds to replace the 20 damaged images has so far raised more than £4,500:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-us-restore-vandalised-windrush-untold-stories-portraits
The exhibition was due to leave Windrush Square tomorrow (10 July) but it is expected that Lambeth council will agree to extend its stay until the damaged images are replaced.
