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20th December 2016
12:10am GMT
"bullet proof vests... tazers... everything.
"When they pulled up all i was thinking was 'i am NOT getting done like Jean Charles de Menezes'. when they shoot first, ask in depth questions later...."
This is a pretty chilling story, relayed on Twitter by the (awesome) London-based artist and photographer Ray Fiasco.
Security has been heightened in the British capital as the city marks the 10th anniversary of the 7/7 bombings – but this is a terrifying reaction to a threat that simply did not exist, and an insight into what it's like to "fit the description".
Whatever the fuck that means.
so im walking through london. listening to young thug. walking towards buckingham palace to go to my boys house in victoria
— ???? (@RayFiasco) July 8, 2015
i was carrying my art with me. as you do when you are me.... my artwork is in a tube. wrapped in plastic... because its london and it rains
— ???? (@RayFiasco) July 8, 2015
now someone saw me walking... enjoying rich gang. with a smile on my face. and decided to conclude that i was carrying a rifle...
— ???? (@RayFiasco) July 8, 2015
so they called every form of police. told them i was carrying a rifle walking towards buckingham palace...
— ???? (@RayFiasco) July 8, 2015
imagine. halfway through 'givenchy' 4 bmws pull up, block off the whole road, bout 10 man jump out, guns pointed at me...
— ???? (@RayFiasco) July 8, 2015
bullet proof vests... tazers... everything.
— ???? (@RayFiasco) July 8, 2015
crowd forms... people filming... man are searching my bags... guns still casually pointed at me.
— ???? (@RayFiasco) July 8, 2015
Thankfully the situation was calmed because he had his passport on him at the time – although you shudder to think how the experience might have been for him if he (like most people when they're walking around their own city) had left it at home.
if i didnt have my passport on me, my day would have gone from 0 - 1million so quickly
— ???? (@RayFiasco) July 8, 2015
but its cool. i finessed the whole thing. had an impromptu exhibition outside buckingham palace... told the people to come to my exhibition
— ???? (@RayFiasco) July 8, 2015
but its cool. i finessed the whole thing. had an impromptu exhibition outside buckingham palace... told the people to come to my exhibition
— ???? (@RayFiasco) July 8, 2015
because obviously a tall black guy with a cardboard tube is carrying a RIFLE... init. makes sense. completely.
— ???? (@RayFiasco) July 8, 2015
At this point, he was composed in a way that most people probably wouldn't have been – but again, as was the case with the passport, that only raises the more troubling question of what might have happened had he reacted to the stress of the situation in a different way?
lets all just small lol. if i was in a bad mood. if i ran... if i tripped and fell... there would have been no more Ranen init.
— ???? (@RayFiasco) July 8, 2015
the officer was so shocked to see it was artwork... he was gobsmacked...
— ???? (@RayFiasco) July 8, 2015
i should have gave him a business card, told him i can handle his album cover, press shots and music video.
— ???? (@RayFiasco) July 8, 2015
they were like 'he fits the description'
— ???? (@RayFiasco) July 8, 2015
lol.
l
o
l
even after they saw it was artwork... they were like 'wait there we need to check CCTV' ...
— ???? (@RayFiasco) July 8, 2015
bro
with semi autos still at the ready
you know when you have to crack jokes to keep the officers cool. i was cracking hella jokes with a very straight face.
— ???? (@RayFiasco) July 8, 2015
had to crack jokes, show them im a british lad at heart, be the token black guy that wasnt mad that they sent an army out to stop me
— ???? (@RayFiasco) July 8, 2015
Seriously.
This is London, remember.
'course mate... course i fit the description. what was that description by the way?'
— ???? (@RayFiasco) July 8, 2015
'she said you were tall, black and wearing a jacket'
if i wasnt such a composed chap...
— ???? (@RayFiasco) July 8, 2015
when they pulled up all i was thinking was 'i am NOT getting done like Jean Charles de Menezes'
— ???? (@RayFiasco) July 8, 2015
when they pulled up all i was thinking was 'i am NOT getting done like Jean Charles de Menezes'
— ???? (@RayFiasco) July 8, 2015
when they shoot first, ask in depth questions later....
— ???? (@RayFiasco) July 8, 2015
if there werent a batch of tourists around... lord knows.
— ???? (@RayFiasco) July 8, 2015
Check out Ray Fiasco's website here – it's pretty awesome.
Would have been nice to discover his stuff under better circumstances, mind...