Teaching union leader claims Chris Kaba a ‘victim of two-tier justice’ in speech at London rally

Chris Kaba was a “victim of two-tier justice” after he was “denied the opportunity to face trial before a court”, the head of a teacher’s union has claimed.

Kaba, 24, was shot through the front windscreen of an Audi Q8 in Streatham, south-east London, on September 5, 2022.

Martyn Blake, 40, the police firearms officer who fatally shot the 24-year-old, was found not guilty of murder last week after a trial at the Old Bailey.

Following the trial, a judge ruled that details of Kaba’s criminal past could be released. It then came to light that Kaba was a “core member” of a prolific and brutal London gang.

Speaking to crowds at a Stand Up to Racism rally, Daniel Kebede, the general secretary of the National Education Union, said that Kaba was treated unfairly.

On Saturday, Kebede attended a counter-demonstration against supporters of Tommy Robinson, who gathered in the capital for a “Uniting the Kingdom” rally.

Kebede told crowds: “… and hearing Tommy Robinson, carrying on like a victim, like he is some suffragette. If he wants to learn about two-tier justice, maybe he should come and learn about the family of Chris Kaba and those around him.”

Explaining his comments further, he told The Telegraph: “Tommy Robinson was convicted by a court for contempt, he has the opportunity to face British justice.

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“The point I was making is that he is not a victim. The opportunity to go before a court is something that was denied to Chris Kaba, who was unarmed and shot in the head.”

The vehicle Kaba was driving was blocked in by police at Kirkstall Gardens after an officer spotted its registration plate.

The 24-year-old repeatedly drove backwards and forwards in an attempt to break free, leading Blake to believe that one of his colleagues was in imminent danger of being killed, the court heard.

A fellow firearms officer, identified as DS87, testified that he would have taken the shot had Blake not done so. Meanwhile, another officer, known as E156, stated he was “fractions of a second” away from firing as well.

Kebede was joined in speaking at the Stand Up To Racism demonstration by Jeremy Corbyn and Diane Abbott.

The counter-protest called on its supporters to “take to the streets” in a “massive anti-fascist demonstration”.

Elsewhere in the capital, the United Families and Friends Campaign held its annual remembrance procession for relatives who have died in police custody, including the family of Kaba.

The group handed in a letter at Downing Street in protest against the deaths.