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Tuesday, July 21, 2015

THE BALLAD OF JEAN CHARLES DE MENEZES (weekly poem)

THE BALLAD OF JEAN CHARLES DE MENEZES

Ten years ago on the 22/7/2005, an innocent Brazilian
was killed by the Police at the Stockwell Tube Station.

The tourists from Brazil are down,
On visiting old London Town;
Especially the Stockwell Tube,
The scene of Scotland Yard’s grim boob.
This was the actual bloody spot,
Where innocent Jean-Charles was shot;
In one of many flawed police ‘Ops’,
Which featured trigger-happy cops.

They killed him on the Underground,
With many passengers around;
Not one of whom heard them declare,
The reason for them being there.
The ‘Met’ Commissioner told the Press,
They’d shot a terrorist, no less;
Not knowing merde had hit the fan,
Because they’d slaughtered the wrong man.

The inquest was the usual farce,
The actualité was sparse;
Those in the secret witness booth,
Were economic with the truth. 
Thus was the whitewash now complete,
Officially all nice and neat;
An innocent young man was shot,
But unofficially – “So what”!

© Richard Layton






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