The annual Notting Hill carnival in London came to a close with tens of thousands of revellers enjoying the vibrant costumes, music, and dancing on the streets of west London. More than 1 million people were expected to have attended over the bank holiday weekend, with Monday’s adults’ day marking the culmination of the festival. The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, praised the carnival as a way to bring communities together.
However, the festival was marred by instances of violent crime. One person was stabbed on Monday, and three people were stabbed on Sunday, including a 32-year-old woman attending with her child. Police patrols, metal-detecting knife arches, and a section 60 order to provide additional search powers were in place to address safety concerns. The Met police federation called the assaults “sadly predictable.”
Despite efforts to control violence, the carnival has been marred by stabbings in previous years. A freedom of information request revealed that there were 10 stabbings in 2023, with 18 in 2019 being the peak. All stabbings were non-fatal, except for one in 2022. The Met’s deputy assistant commissioner called on the public to come forward with information about the violence to ensure the carnival remains a celebration rather than marred by crime.
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Photo credit www.theguardian.com
