What happened at Brixton Academy should never have happened.
On Thursday December 15th 2022, Nigerian Afrobeats artist Asake was in Brixton for the final of his 3 sold out concerts. What should have been a night of joy and celebration turned into a nightmare when crowds of people stormed the venue, generating a crush that sent eight people to hospital. Four of those were in critical condition, and as of today, Saturday 17th, one of the four - Mother-of-two Rebecca Ikumelo, 33 - has died from injuries she sustained.
This should never have happened. For too many reasons to list, this should never have happened. First and foremost, endangering life for your perceived potential enjoyment is not ever okay. If a venue is full and the doors are closed, that’s that. No more room at the inn. Why were that many people pushing on the doors, forcing entry? Have we reached a point where people have been so isolated from others and social engagement for so long, we no longer know the fundamentals of what is appropriate behaviour? Or do we know and not care? Is it that we are now more entitled than empathetic? Because pausing for a moment and thinking about the consequences of the actions exhibited on Thursday would have painted a clear picture of what was to follow. We only have to think back to the Astroworld tragedy in November 2021 for the answer, if we’re not able to figure it out ourselves. And yet, here we are.
There’s a huge disconnect that seems clear between being desperate to see an artist and not thinking for a moment about the consequences on said artist when their show is the location of such pain. How must Asake be feeling right now knowing a woman is dead, and two others are fighting for their lives, simply because he was performing. How long do you think that trauma will carry in the heart and mind of a decent man?
And here’s the other uncomfortable truth. Black people and our events are already hyper policed. We don’t get to act a fool. Not consequence free. White people bringing drugs and killing children at festivals happens consequence free. Nearly 50% of all female festival-goers have been sexually assaulted at UK festivals, and if we extrapolate data from the US, majority of the attendees are white. Again, consequence free. White fans can cause a surge at Wembley Stadium during the Euro’s but try and say football fans are hooligans and you’ll be met with a barrage of reasons why that’s not a fair judgement.
But that is not the case for majority Black attended events. They are hyper policed - Notting Hill Carnival is one of the biggest days for the Met police each year. They even have “pre Carnival crack-downs” where they arrest hundreds they think will “cause trouble” at carnival, going as far as saying they don’t actually care what it is they arrest them for, just that they’re arrested. We know the police are looking for any excuse to shut us down, treat us as criminals and lock us away. Footage from Thursday night shows police officers throwing a woman down steps to the ground with considerable force - which is now under investigation.
But the point is this. We spend a long time as a community talking about the way we are policed. The judgement, the stereotyping, the double standard, the discrimination. And all of it is true. So why has this been handed to them on a silver platter? A group of Black people acting with no concern for others, leading to a totally preventable death, throwing hands with police and security, and endangering hundreds of lives.
We should know by now, when white people act a fool it reflects only the individual or individuals involved. When Black people do it, it reflects the whole community. It’s used as a “See, we told you they’re violent.” A reason to treat us the way they do.
In one night, one group of people have managed to kill a woman, change at least 8 peoples lives - potentially forever - and also potentially contribute to the ever worsening relations between the Black community and the police, which can have disastrous consequences. This should never have happened.
Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Rebecca Ikumelo, particularly her two children, at this incredibly difficult time.