Turkish Man Beaten And Racially Abused In Belfast By PSNI In Front Of Witnesses

national | rights, freedoms and repression | feature

Monday December 06, 2004 16:52

by Anti Racist - ARN

Belfast

' He looked me straight in the face and said “Hey Kebab boy” '

Musa Gulusen is a well known face to anyone who shops regularly on Royal Avenue in Belfast. He has been a stallholder there for seven years. Originally from Turkey, Musa settled here 12 years ago and has a family here. Last Saturday there was a PSNI operation against unlicensed stallholders in Belfast City centre. Musa says that during this operation he was severely assaulted and racially abused by the PSNI officers taking part in the operation.

Musa says “a police officer grabbed me by the throat and he shoved me up against a wall. I was protesting and asking him why are you holding me. I was trying to tell him that I had made my application for a license to Belfast City Council. I told him the name of the person in the Council who is dealing with it. He wasn’t listening. He hit me in the face with the back part of his hand.

Then other officers came over. They forced me to the ground. They grabbed my arms up behind my back. I was yelling and yelling how sore my arm was but they were not listening. They kept pulling and my arm was in real pain. There was blood on the ground. They then half dragged me across the ground to the Land Rover and put me inside. In the Land Rover the policeman who had hit me in the face asked me my name. I said that I was in pain that I would not tell him my name as he had hit me. Other police got into the Land Rover. One of them appeared to be senior – like an inspector. He looked me straight in the face and said “Hey Kebab Boy”. All the other police in the Land Rover started laughing really hard. They just kept laughing. There were four of them. I was thinking I am 36 years old. I have lived here for twelve years, I have a British passport and they see me as if I was an animal. It was the same as if he had said to me “Hey Monkey Boy”.

I have never done anything to deserve that. I have lived here a long time. It doesn’t matter where you come from. I have never done anything bad. They were all laughing at me as if I wasn’t human”.

Musa was eventually hospitalised where it was discovered that his arm had been broken. He also had severe bruising to his back and facial injuries.

The ARN has also spoken to one of the witnesses, another stallholder, Gerard Stitt. Gerard told the ARN "Musa was actually walking away when the police grabbed him with their batons drawn..... When they were dragging him to the landrover he was screaming to them "my arm, my arm". I heard one of them saying to him "you're not such a big fella now are you"? I have seen plenty of raids on stalls in my 5 years doing them but I have never seen anything like this. They usually just take the stuff and take your name. This was beyond excessive force. This was disgraceful".

A week after the event, Musa Gulusen’s face is swollen. His left eye is still severely bruised and swollen and his broken arm is in a sling. He told the Anti Racism Network that he was upset and angry by what had happened and that so were friends of his and “local people” who had witnessed the assault.

The ARN is calling for a full investigation into the actions of PSNI officers who were involved in the operation. Barbara Muldoon of the Network says “Of all the racist attacks reported in Northern Ireland over the last number of years this is without doubt the most serious. We were told of this assault the very day after John Spellar was commending the PSNI for a reduction in the figures for racist attacks in the last six months. The ARN have been concerned for some time that the PSNI figures do not truly represent the real level of attacks”. Ms Muldoon who works for P Drinan Solicitor’s Office, an office where at least 30% of the clients that they see are from the minority ethnic community says that most people who are attacked do not report it. “There is a lack of confidence in the PSNI due to the very small ‘clear up’ rate for racist crimes”.

Calling for a full investigation into the matter she added – “The bitterness of what happened Rodney King in America or Stephen Lawrence in London will never go away. Not just because of what happened – but also because of the very lengthy battles to have what happened properly investigated. A member of our community has been subjected to a serious assault and appalling racist abuse by the very force who society tasks to solve racist attacks. There are witnesses to confirm what happened. The assault took place in an area where there are numerous CCTV cameras. This news will undoutedly make international headlines. What is required here is a full independent inquiry into the actions of the PSNI in Belfast City Centre last Saturday

Anti Racism Network Website

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Comments (8 of 8)

^Re

by Brian Vernon

Mon Dec 06, 2004 14:40

In the early hours of April 27, 1997, Robert, a 25-year-old Catholic, was kicked to death by a large gang of Loyalists, in Portadown, County Armagh. It was a random sectarian attack, and it happened in full view of an RUC Land Rover, 200 yards from an RUC station. Four RUC officers remained in the Land Rover during the attack. They wore body armour and were armed with pistols, plastic bullets, CS gas and a semi-automatic rifles......

We don't have to go abroad for reminders of how bad the RUC/PSNI are, there have been more than enough incidents here in the last 40 years to prove beyond doubt that they are nothing more than a bunch of "loyal" racist thugs.

Aaah ...progress here in the north.

by Barry

Mon Dec 06, 2004 17:06

Just like their loyalist buddies, the PSNI have progressed to beating up johnny foreigners now as well as being sectarian bigots.

How lucky we are to have such a fine upstanding body of men and women patrolling our streets..with plasic bullets and machine guns at their disposal. I feel so safe whenever I see them.

It just gets worse and worse...

by radical jonny

Tue Dec 07, 2004 11:18

radicaljonny at yahoo dot ie

The PSNI absolutely befuddle me. It appears clear that they have no clue how to be a police force. I and my wife have been involved in community development work here in NI since '00. With her involvement with the local residents group when we lived in the Holylands area, and with my involvement in the anti war movement, we've had many an occasion to deal with the cops. Dealing with actual crimefighting and/or crime prevention is truly beyond them.

American right-wing personality Rush Limbaugh once said, 'Armies are designed to kill people and break things.' The PSNI prove this true in two ways: when NI was born the RUC was set up, not to be police, but an army; and as Mr. Gulusen's arm will attest, they do know how to break things.

It's up to all of us. Hugh Orde must not be allowed to bushwack his way out of this one, pontificating once again about how efficient his bunch of goons are. Every officer involved should be investigated, and when their guilt is established, they should be sacked. Mr Gulusen should then be free to collect compensation from the PSNI, and maybe even from individual legal action against the officers.

Hell, sack Orde as well. He's shown that he has no idea how to build an effective police force. He owes his job to politicians who only ever deal with the PSNI at banquets, award ceremonies, and other official capacities. He also owes his job to the knowledge that there's no public outcry for his badge. Well, Hugh, guess what? Your doing a piss poor job.

Shut 'em down.

PFC makes bid for Guinness Book of Records

Tue Dec 07, 2004 21:23

Least used police station ojn the planet

All along the watchtower.

Wed Dec 08, 2004 16:15

Rosemount base, just like so many other police barracks was never there to serve the community. It was only constructed to spy on the people and act as a British military outpost.

No British police force in Ireland can ever function as a normal police force should. Rosemount barrack itself illustrates what the primary objective will always be - the maintenance of partition and the British occupation.

Thats why a significant number of republicans and Irish people in general will reject the PSNI, just like the RUC and RIC. If Denis Bradley had a shred of self respect he would quit trying to con the people of Derry. He has failed - abysmally. The PSNI have been seen for what they are - British police.

Sinn Fein signing up to PSNI

by Cophater

Wed Dec 08, 2004 18:47

Looks like the Shinners have agreed to sign up to the PSNI as part of the Deal that was nearly done. Now that the Deal has fallen through, they're going to find it difficult to keep complaining about a police force they have already de facto accepted. Me, I hate all cops, RUC/PSNI, Gardai, Met, NYPD, whatever. Not at all suprised by the PSNI's latest. Still, might just give some of those ARN types who seem to think the cops might help some pause to think.

Deals done, just a bit more play acting to go.

Wed Dec 08, 2004 20:15

Theyve jumped through every hoop so far, theyll jump through this one too. They just have to pretend to their supporters they didnt give in too quick. They agreed to join the peelers years ago.

Beatings and Racism

by oisin o buachailla - siptu

Mon Dec 20, 2004 13:44

Main st Bray

01 2866730

Why is nobody punished for these incidents?.
Why?????????????

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Turkish Man Beaten And Racially Abused In Belfast By PSNI In Front Of Witnesses

Comments (8 of 8)