Personal injury news

Mob protests over death of young refugee

More than 600 people have taken to the streets of London to protest about the death of a young Somali refugee.

22-year-old Nuur Saeed died from serious head injuries which it is alleged resulted from a police raid on his Plumstead flat in January 2006. He was found lying on the ground below the balcony of his second floor apartment and was rushed to hospital, but died two weeks later from massive brain injury complications.

Although it is possible that Saeed jumped from his balcony to avoid arrest, local ethnic minority groups feel they are being victimised and that the Somali youth’s death was no accident. Many of those taking part in the protest carried placards and chanted “Justice for Nuur” and “Our reality- police brutality”.

A protest spokesman told reporters, “We are demanding an immediate and independent investigation into Woolwich police’s harassment of young men, especially those from the Somali community.”

Woolwich police issued a statement in response saying, “This is simply untrue. All Greenwich police operations and activity are directed against criminals to prevent and detect crime and to protect and support victims of criminality.

“We would never seek to criminalise any part of our community.”

An investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission has already begun to establish how Nuur Saeed received his fatal head injuries.