Southall community remembers Blair Peach and Gurdip Singh Chaggar
Tue 30 Apr 2019
It was a march of solidarity and unity against racism. The local community was joined by many other anti-fascist and anti-racist campaign groups.
In April 1979, five days after Blair Peach was killed, 20,000 people marched through Southall against racism and to remember him.
On Saturday 27 April 2019, there was a good turnout for the march to remember Gurdip Chaggar and Blair Peach.
The crowd started assembling at 2pm on Dominion Road. Before the start of the march there was a karate demonstration by Southall youth.
The procession was led by local school children. In front was the Chaudhry’s TKC Tiara bus from Pakistan, which was used by people who had difficulty walking.
The first stopping point of the procession was where Gurdip Singh Chaggar was killed. Flowers were laid and a minute silence was observed in his memory.
The second stopping point was outside the Ramgarhia Sabha Gurdwara on Oswald Road where prayers were said.
At the corner of Beachcroft and Orchard Avenue, SouthallResists40 wrote “We lay flowers where police struck antifascist Blair Peach. A teacher who came to Southall in solidarity with a local community defending itself from the National Front.”
Jalebi Junction on Southall Broadway, owned by the Chaudhry family, handed out bottles of water and jalebis to everyone.
At the final destination outside Southall Town hundreds gathered to listen to the speeches of local and national speakers including John McDonnell MP.
About the first speaker SouthallResists40 wrote ?“Moving words from a young member of Gurdip Singh Chaggar's family, talking about the senseless murder that started an anti-racist movement which changed Britain.”
John McDonnell (MP for Hayes and Harlington) wrote “Proud to have marched and spoken today in commemoration of Blair Peach and Gurdip Singh Chaggar. Proud of all those local campaigners who have stood firm over the years in the struggle against racism and fascism and who now are ready for the campaign against the new far right.”
John McDonnell also said "They murdered Blair Peach in a police riot and we still haven't got justice."
Even Julian Bell, Leader of Ealing Council, was saying “Forty years on, Southall demands justice for killing of Blair Peach.”
Ealing Council leader Julian Bell was praised for Ealing Councils help and financial support for the event.
The final words, for those gathered outside Southall Town Hall, was “free food” at Chaudhry’s TKC on Southall Broadway.
Photos can be seen at www.facebook.com/VisitSouthallIf you have a local news story, share it with the rest of Southall, by using the contact form.
