The Monitoring Group
{{Short description|Anti-racist charity in the United Kingdom}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
The Monitoring Group (TMG) is an anti-racist charity in the UK. It was established in Southall in the early 1980s, and originally known as the Southall Monitoring Group. Its director is Suresh Grover.Jasbinder S. Nijjar, [https://irr.org.uk/article/building-from-the-base-starting-from-the-streets/ Building from the base, starting from the streets], Institute of Race Relations, 22 October 2020. Accessed 21 December 2020.
History
Meetings to establish the Southall Monitoring group began in December 1981, after the racist murder of Gurdip Singh Chaggar in 1976, the police killing of Blair Peach in 1979, and confrontation between skinheads and local young people in summer 1979. The concept of a monitoring group was taken from the Black Panthers.
The Southall Monitoring Group was active in campaigns for justice by several families: that of Kuldip Sekhon, killed in 1989; that of Stephen Lawrence, killed in 1993; that of Ricky Reel, killed in 1997; and that of Michael Menson, also killed in 1997. After the Macpherson Report the group created a national network, and renamed itself The Monitoring Group.
Recent activity
In 2015 the Monitoring Group petitioned the UK Home Secretary to guarantee that police whistleblowers would not face punishment for revealing the extent of their undercover spying on UK political groups.Rob Evans, [https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/undercover-with-paul-lewis-and-rob-evans/2015/mar/16/whistleblowers-must-be-protected-and-allowed-to-speak-out-about-undercover-spies-say-campaigners Whistleblowers must be protected and allowed to speak out about undercover spies, say campaigners], The Guardian, 16 March 2015. Accessed 21 December 2020. The group joined with the Awaaz Network to demonstrate against the visit of Narendra Modi to the UK in November 2015.Nayantara Narayanan, [https://scroll.in/article/768199/modi-not-welcome-meet-the-uk-activists-who-projected-their-message-on-the-british-parliament Modi Not Welcome: Meet the UK activists who projected their message on the British parliament], scroll.in, 9 November 2015. Accessed 21 December 2020. After the 2016 Brexit referendum, The Monitoring Group reported a rise in racist violence,Dan Bilefsky, [https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/28/world/europe/as-migrants-face-abuse-fear-that-brexit-has-given-license-to-xenophobia.html As Migrants Face Abuse, Fear That ‘Brexit’ Has Given License to Xenophobia], New York Times, 27 June 2016. Accessed 21 December 2020. and two years later confirmed that there had been a rise in race hate crimes.Vikram Dodd, [https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/jul/19/brexit-will-trigger-rise-in-hate-crimes-warns-police-watchdog Brexit will trigger rise in hate crimes, warns police watchdog], The Guardian, 19 July 2018. Accessed 21 December 2020.
The group continues to call for an inquiry into the death of Blair Peach,Vivek Chaudhary, [https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/apr/21/southall-demands-justice-killing-of-blair-peach-1979 Forty years on, Southall demands justice for killing of Blair Peach], The Guardian, 21 April 2019. Accessed 21 December 2020. They criticized the secrecy surrounding Hampshire Police's internal investigation into homophobia and racism at the force's Basingstoke investigation centre.David Mercer, [https://news.sky.com/story/hampshire-police-criticised-for-scandalous-response-over-racism-investigation-11734747 Hampshire Police criticised for 'scandalous' response over 'racism' investigation], Sky News, 8 June 2019. Accessed 21 December 2020.David Mercer, [https://news.sky.com/story/eight-hampshire-police-officers-to-face-misconduct-hearings-after-racism-inquiry-11827257 Eight Hampshire Police officers to face misconduct hearings after 'racism' inquiry], Sky News, 4 October 2019. They have supported the mother of Christopher Kapessa in her complaint against South Wales Police's inaction after her 13-year-old son's death.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-49023606 Mum's police complaint over Christopher Kapessa river death], BBC News, 17 July 2019.Cherry Wilson, [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/stories-53312489 Christopher Kapessa: A mum’s fight for justice for her son], BBC News, 12 July 2020. Accessed 21 December 2020. In 2020 the group urged attention to COVID-19-related race hate against Chinese communities,David Mercer, [https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-home-secretary-urged-to-act-on-unacceptable-rise-in-anti-chinese-hate-crimes-11983731 Coronavirus: Home secretary urged to act on 'unacceptable' rise in anti-Chinese hate crimes], Sky News, 6 May 2020. Accessed 21 December 2020. as well as other groups.Alex Hudson, [https://www.newsweek.com/covid-19-has-unleashed-tsunami-hate-scaremongering-says-un-chief-1502740 COVID-19 Has Unleashed 'Tsunami of Hate and Scaremongering,' Says U.N. Chief], Newsweek, 8 May 2020. Accessed 21 December 2020. The group participated in Black Lives Matter demonstrations in 2020,Annie Gouk and Anahita Hossein-Pour, [https://www.mylondon.news/news/west-london-news/southall-stands-one-george-floyd-18381404 Southall stands as one with George Floyd and Black Lives Matter in peaceful anti-racism demonstration], MyLondon, 8 July 2020, updated 9 July 2020. Accessed 21 December 2020. and supported a teenager injured by far right protestors, who was then stopped and searched by a Metropolitan Police officer whom he had asked for help.Damien Gayle, [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/01/injured-boy-stopped-and-searched-by-met-officer-he-asked-for-help Injured boy 'stopped and searched' by Met officer he asked for help], The Guardian, 1 July 2020. Accessed 21 December 2020. In August 2020 the Monitoring Group criticised the appointment of Tony Sewell, who had earlier minimised the effect of institutional racism, to chair a new Government Commission tasked with looking into racial inequality.Kevin Rawlinson and Vikram Dodd, [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/11/race-equality-chief-tony-sewell-faces-legal-challenge-over-appointment Race equality chief faces legal challenge over appointment], The Guardian, 11 August 2020. Accessed 21 December 2020.
References
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External links
- [http://www.tmg-uk.org/ The Monitoring Group: Tackling Racism since 1981]
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Category:1981 establishments in England
Category:Anti-racist organisations in the United Kingdom