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| Hideously diverse Britain: a court divided by race | Hideously diverse Britain: a court divided by race |
| (12 months later) | |
| "Are you the press," asked the loudest of the women sitting behind me at the law courts in Birmingham? "Yes," I said. "Well you shouldn't be here," she shot back to nods from either flank. "But this is the public gallery," I protested. "Yes, but it's private," she replied. "It's for the relatives." | "Are you the press," asked the loudest of the women sitting behind me at the law courts in Birmingham? "Yes," I said. "Well you shouldn't be here," she shot back to nods from either flank. "But this is the public gallery," I protested. "Yes, but it's private," she replied. "It's for the relatives." |
| The relatives, she said. A collective. For they do share a bond. At the back of the area bounded by walls of glass sit relatives of the eight men who stand accused of murder. At the front sit relatives of the victims; three men who died after a collision with a vehicle during the disturbances last August. The accused – all of whom deny murder – are black and white and mixed race; the victims were Asian. | The relatives, she said. A collective. For they do share a bond. At the back of the area bounded by walls of glass sit relatives of the eight men who stand accused of murder. At the front sit relatives of the victims; three men who died after a collision with a vehicle during the disturbances last August. The accused – all of whom deny murder – are black and white and mixed race; the victims were Asian. |
| The public/private gallery splits much the same way. Unhappy protagonists condemned to share that space. | The public/private gallery splits much the same way. Unhappy protagonists condemned to share that space. |
| It can't be easy, but all things considered, they are doing it with dignity. There was a disturbance at the start of the trial when everyone watched CCTV of the collision. But since, there has been equilibrium. They listen, they mutter, they hope, they grieve. | It can't be easy, but all things considered, they are doing it with dignity. There was a disturbance at the start of the trial when everyone watched CCTV of the collision. But since, there has been equilibrium. They listen, they mutter, they hope, they grieve. |
| A couple scribbled as one witness, whose family own the petrol station that was being protected by the victims, told of his business coming under attack. Barely audible, he described cars moving in convoy. And later the arrival of assailants, announced with a hail of missiles. | A couple scribbled as one witness, whose family own the petrol station that was being protected by the victims, told of his business coming under attack. Barely audible, he described cars moving in convoy. And later the arrival of assailants, announced with a hail of missiles. |
| "They were saying come outside; we are smashing your car. Come and stop us." "You didn't take up their invitation," noted prosecutor Timothy Spencer QC. "I didn't," the witness said. | "They were saying come outside; we are smashing your car. Come and stop us." "You didn't take up their invitation," noted prosecutor Timothy Spencer QC. "I didn't," the witness said. |
| The gallery space is limited, but it hardly matters, says Rajinder Rattu, an energetic community worker, for everyone he knows is monitoring the case through newspapers and television. Three weeks gone, five to go, everyone's a participant, everyone's engaged. | The gallery space is limited, but it hardly matters, says Rajinder Rattu, an energetic community worker, for everyone he knows is monitoring the case through newspapers and television. Three weeks gone, five to go, everyone's a participant, everyone's engaged. |
| And everyone in his line of work is trying to ensure that, however the trial ends, the communities move forwards and not back. He sits on a cohesion monitoring group, he sees mosques and churches working in tandem, police officers reaching out to people of influence. "We have to step up to the plate," he says. He thinks they will. "There are enough of us who want to make a difference." | And everyone in his line of work is trying to ensure that, however the trial ends, the communities move forwards and not back. He sits on a cohesion monitoring group, he sees mosques and churches working in tandem, police officers reaching out to people of influence. "We have to step up to the plate," he says. He thinks they will. "There are enough of us who want to make a difference." |
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