In the run up to #NottingHillCarnival, officers have this morning seized what is believed to be a kilo of uncut heroin in #Catford pic.twitter.com/pUCya5lrvj
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) August 22, 2017
The London Metropolitan Police are coming under heavy criticism after they linked a recent drugs raid to this week’s Notting Hill Carnival in a tweet sent out today.
While they didn’t say there was a direct connection to the drugs haul and the biggest street party in Europe, just the mere mention of both these things in the same tweet have led to some fierce criticism.
Notting Hill Carnival is one of the premier events in the London summertime calendar. It’s a celebration of London’s Afro-Caribbean community and it encourages everyone from across the city – and the world – to join in the festivities.
WikipediaPeople have taken to Twitter to voice their displeasure at the London Metropolitan Police’s ‘short-sighted’ tweet, some pointing out the disjointed logic of the and some accusing the Met of institutional racism.
In the run up to London Design Festival next month, officers have seized a kilo of uncut heroin https://t.co/EzBIN3l0Vn
— Rachel Evans (@rvedotrc) August 22, 2017
You people won't rest until Notting Hill Carnival is no more.
— Kelechi Okafor (@kelechnekoff) August 22, 2017
Notting Hill Carnival has a lower crime rate than Glastonbury. https://t.co/T2a59t45G3
— NTS Radio (@NTSlive) August 22, 2017
Online music platform Boiler Room questioned the connection between the haul and the upcoming festival, calling it ‘proof’ around the stigma the festival receives.
What has this actually got to do with Carnival? Proof that the ridiculous stigma around Carnival needs to be cleared up once and for all. pic.twitter.com/v0y0Xr8yGQ
— BOILER ROOM (@boilerroomtv) August 22, 2017
Nothing to do with Notting Hill carnival. This tweet is negligent and insensitive. This should be deleted. https://t.co/IRWI4SGd19
— Semtex (@DJSemtex) August 22, 2017
Grime MC Stromzy weighed in on the situation, as he accused the police of double standards – questioning why there isn’t this kind of social media alert for big events such as Glastonbury.
How many drugs did you lot seize in the run up to Glastonbury or we only doing tweets like this for black events? https://t.co/v7XYvSg29t
— #GSAP (@Stormzy1) August 22, 2017
THIS ??????
AND WHAT HAVE HEROIN SEIZURES GOT TO DO WITH NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL ANYWAY… BLATANT AND OBVIOUS …BE ASHAMED OF YOUR AGENDA. https://t.co/xO7qlqqgas— Benji B (@TheRealBenjiB) August 22, 2017
tf does catford in south east london have to with #NottingHillCarnival ? https://t.co/krKjsQKKL9
— MNEK (@MNEK) August 22, 2017
Stormzy has a fair point too, as it would be naive to think a certain amount of festival goers are not on drugs at some of the biggest music events in the UK.
The Met’s Twitter gaff does nothing to ease the tensions in the black and ethnic minority communities across London following the deaths of Rashan Charles and Edir Da Costa this year.
WikipediaNotting Hill Carnival runs this year from August 26 to August 28 August, where, I must stress, I don’t think there will be any smack-related activities going down.
