Lozells Riots

[Big_Tera]

could be

[dalsingh101]

Rival gangs unite to fightOct 30 2005

By Don Malhi

WARRING Asian street gangs have settled their differences to unite against black gangs who they blame for the Lozells riots.

The alarming revelation comes after reports that Birmingham's notorious black street gangs, the Johnson Crew and Burger Bar Boys, had called a truce to fight their Asian counterparts.

According to messages posted on Birmingham-based black music website Supatrax, members from the two gangs had met to 'unite and stand strong not only for the justice of the young girl but also for the black community as a whole'.

Now it is being claimed that gangsters from a Handsworthbased Sikh gang have promised support to their bitter rivals, who are Muslims.

The two gangs were originally formed in the 1980s to counter the rising influence of the far right and to defend their communities from racist attacks.

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When the neo-Nazi threat diminished, the gangs continued to exist and turned into opposing crime syndicates and began turning on each other over religious grounds.

The Sikh SP (Lion of Punjab) gang accused Muslim gangs like the Aston Panthers, the Lynx and the Redheads, of forcibly converting Sikh girls to Islam.

Now gangland sources have told the Sunday Mercury that the bitter rivals have called an uneasy truce to counter intimidation by black gangs.

An SP member said: "The problem is that the blacks have lumped all brown people together as Asians whereas there is no such one united community.

"Last week, black youths were going round Sikh areas of Handsworth attacking their homes and shops, even though Sikhs had nothing to do with the riots in Lozells.

"Sikhs have been forced into this conflict now and we really have no choice but to side with the Muslim community on this issue."

Meanwhile, further details of the violence and mayhem in Lozells last week have begun to emerge.

It is understood that the police officer who was shot in the leg had, in fact, been shot with a .22 calibre bullet and not a ballbearing as police had originally claimed.

A police source said five spent cartridges had been discovered at the scene and were being forensically examined.

Another officer narrowly avoided death when youths fired shots at him from a 9mm handgun and a bullet was later found embedded in a wall beside him.

It has also been suggested that teenager Aaron James, who was shot dead in Newtown last week, was accidentally killed when he tripped over.

A police source said: "A group of black youths were firing guns over their shoulders as they ran away.

"It seems like the dead youth tripped over and may have accidentally been shot by an accomplice - or perhaps ended up shooting himself in the head and arm."

The incident is currently being investigated by the region's

Independent Police Complaints Commissioner, Amerdeep Sohal.

Police last night also confirmed that they had arrested two more people in connection with the fatal stabbing of city council worker Isiah Young-sam.

Mr Young-Sam, 23, was stabbed in the chest in Carlyle Road, Lozells, last Saturday as he walked home with his younger brother and two friends.

On Thursday, two men, aged 22 and 25, were arrested on suspicion of murder, and a third man, aged in his early 20s, was detained on Friday by officers investigating the killing.

The Sunday Mercury understands all five men are Asian, although police have refused to confirm or deny their ethnic origin.

Detective Superintendent John Jones said: "Evidence has come forward to suggest up to 12 men were involved and we do anticipate further arrests."

Last week's troubles have served to create a feeling of suspicion and distrust between the

city's black and Asian communities.

There had already been isolated incidents of blacks attacking Asians and vice versa.

In 2001 we reported how Handsworth man Leroy Smith, 34, was left for dead outside a local nightclub when a gang of Asian men attacked him after shouting racist abuse.

The black father-of-three said at the time: "Handsworth is getting worse for this kind of thing. It is a timebomb waiting to go off."

Perry Barr MP Khalid Mahmood said rumours were continuing to inflame the situation. "The credibility of the rape story which sparked the troubles is diminishing day by day and there has to come a point where enough is enough."

He added: "Police have already said there is no evidence that an attack ever took place, let alone having enough to secure a conviction.

"Yet there seems to have been enough evidence for people to begin a riot over the whole matter. "Mr Mahmood also accused Asian and black drug gangs that operate in the area of using the unrest to settle their own scores.

A gangland source added: "The Asian gangs are increasingly taking over the drugs and prostitution trade from the black gangs. This has caused a lot of friction.

"They have worked together in the past but they are now both trying to establish their dominance in the market and are stepping on each others' toes in the process.

"The irony is that the Asian gangsters go on as if they were black. They dress like black men, listen to the same music and even chat in patois [Jamaican slang]."

Two years ago, West Midlands Police Assistant Chief Constable Nick Tofiluk warned of ' interethnic' conflict between black and Asian gangsters.

Giving evidence to a Parliamentary committee on gun crime in 2003 he said: "Asian networks exist that possess firearms and are involved in the supply of illicit drugs both to the Afro-Caribbean networks and in competition with existing networks.

"The often chaotic nature of drug markets and supply chains means that the potential for inter-ethnic criminal disputes relating to issues of 'disrespect' and securing access to drugs markets is increasing."

Some black residents in Lozells last week claimed they had been verbally abused by Asian youths and complained of receiving leaflets from Islamic extremists who labelled them 'infidels'.

Rumours have also been awash of Asian gangs preparing to cause trouble in Birmingham next Friday during the traditional Muslim Eid celebrations.

The holy day, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, is usually celebrated in Birmingham when hundreds of Muslim youths take to the streets, waving green Pakistani flags.

http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/sunday...-name_page.html

Sikhs should be able to defend themselves without help. Especially from Ps!!

[Fear NOBODY]

dis kinda stuf happends in da psat is happening now n will go on 4 yaers n years

all we can do is b prepared 4 war

we are in kuljug jus keep tha in mind

guru ji has blessed us with shastars

n shastar vidaeh n gatka

if all means fail we wil raise the sword ! AKAAAL

[SaRpAnCh]

Sikhs have nothing what so ever to do with these riots,the balck girl was sexualy assaulted by a Pakistani Muslim,but the media being irresponsible as usual classed the attacker as 'asian',which makes people think we are all the same,we are not,i appeal to Sikhs not to get involved,only do something if you are attacked,otherwise steer clear of this,as we have nothing to do with this