(https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gk1k453jwo courtesy)
By Hassen Lorgat
Last year, campaigners in London held vigils and other activities to bring this tragic death to life. It had passed me by, for which I am terribly apologetic because I clearly remember the pain this wrongful and never justifiable murder had on me.
It was a time when we were campaigning around the Global Call to End Poverty, and mixing with UK activists and others was quite frequent. I recall at that time, Oxfam, with the support of Gordon Brown promised and led on a campaign, “Make Poverty History,” which they dropped soon after the political mood in the capital turned to other things.
But I digress and may be biased here as I was working at the SA NGO Coalition at that time and followed these issues closely.
The death of Jean Charles de Menezes touched me deeply. But I cannot help but digress a bit, going back to that time when this young man was killed.
The war on terror unleashed by Bush and Blair opened the door for such repression in legislation and in such killings with impunity. Its ramifications were global including South Africa. Civil liberties were under attack like never before. Read Media Review Network’s objections to such legislation in 2003 here:
I still feel sick and feel a great anger against the establishment and toward Tony Blair — whom the late Robert Mugabe so aptly called ‘Bliar’ for his role in this, and for his continuing shenanigans with the Trumps’ so-called ‘peace plans’ around Gaza. Wherever this man walks, truth runs away from him, despite his words to the contrary.
Jean Charles de Menezes, a 27-year-old Brazilian who worked as an electrician, was killed at Stockwell Tube in South London by British police a day after failed bombing attempts on the London transport network. It is reported that this came two weeks after the 7/7 terror attacks, which killed 52 people in central London in 2005.
The BBC recalls that Mr de Menezes was shot seven times in the head the day after police mistakenly identified him as one of the suspects for the failed bombings.
It was also widely reported that suicide bombers had targeted the transport network on 21 July, but their devices failed to explode.
During July 2025 (or 2024? The text says 2025 but refers to past events — if intentional, keep as is), friends and family of Jean Charles de Menezes stated that it was a travesty that the mistaken death 20 years ago by police had resulted in not one police officer being held accountable for his murder. The Stockwell Tube protesters heard that the Met Police were fined only for health and safety breaches, but no one was prosecuted. In April 2025, the Met Police reiterated their verbal apology to the family.
Speaking at the memorial, his cousin Patricia da Silva Armani said: “He was completely innocent, shot in cold blood. Lies were spread. To this day, no police officer has been held accountable. That is a travesty.” She added that it was “unacceptable that agents of the state can act with impunity.”
“Jean’s memory demands more than words — it demands truth, accountability, and real change. We will not forget. We will not be silent.”
In an emotional BBC video that preceded the launch of the Disney Plus mini-series about Menezes’ life, his mum prayed that the story be told truthfully. Initial reports doing the rounds were that Menezes had jumped barriers and hit police, something his mum believes is wrong and out of character for her law-abiding son.
The mini-series, which I have not seen, is called Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes (2025) and deals with the 2005 killing of Jean Charles de Menezes by London police. It was written by Jeff Pope and stars Edison Alcaide, Daniel Mays, Russell Tovey, Laura Aikman, Alex Jennings, Conleth Hill, Emily Mortimer, and Max Beesley. It was released on Disney+ on 30 April 2025.
The lost poem my partner tracked down in the old archives of Yahoo Mail was written (and re-written) soon after the news of his killing in 2005.
*The right man*
They got the wrong man, CNN said
But to us he was the right man
His colour was like mine or a lighter shade of dark
They “sussed” that he would do wrong – from home to
tube … then to the body bag of a government mortuary.
He had the look which will
enter and work illegally in a country,
plant a bomb,
fly a plane into buildings,
kill himself,
kill others,
whatever we do not like.
This was the right man.
Jean Charles de Menezes was the right man.
That he died on 22 July at 10 am, at the entrance of
Stockwell underground station will soon be forgotten.
That he died unarmed will soon be forgotten.
That he was a Christian and loved by his mother will
count for nothing.
That he died in front of witnesses – all of us far
away and a bit intimidated – will soon be forgotten.
That he died a working person will soon be forgotten.
That he died barely 30 years old will soon be
forgotten.
That he was killed unjustly – we must never let them forget.
It could have been me, or anyone of us.
It was the right man.
Jean Charles Menezes died for me, for us, and for those who
killed him.
But will they ever learn that this man
died like others before him, so that they can truly be
Saved?
Hassen Lorgat
(family provided photo, online)
Jean Charles de Menezes
