Protest against "Khan's Bargain Limited"

[LegoLawyer]

On walking up Rye Lane a few minutes ago, I was interested to see a line of police officers standing guard outside "Khan's Bargain Limited". On the opposite pavement were a small number of people chanting slogans and waving (illegible) placards. I asked one of the offcers what was going on:

"They", he said, pointing to the protestors

"think the owners" indicating Khan's

"are racist". Pause.

"They don't seem very racist to me sir".

I'm intrigued as to what has sparked this. Does anyone have an insight?

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

What tosh. I've always found the staff in Khan's brilliant. If they are racist, they've hidden it very well.

[Alan Medic]

If someone is 'racist' how do you make them not be 'racist'? Does hate work?

[ad2000]

I was down there earlier to meet my sister. She said she spoke to one of the protesters who alleged that 2 members of staff at Khan's had 'assaulted' someone (don't know who) and had been racist to the shop keepers across the road.

[LadyDeliah]

Apparently a group of the Afghan shop keepers beat a young black guy with sticks, according to one of the organisers. They have apparently attacked a few black guys who have complained and tried to return goods.

[KidKruger]

Same old story, people try to push the Afghanis around then whine when they're stood up to.

Khan's staff are racist because they won't take any shit ?

Those guys are at worst protecting their shop.

Who was it and what were they returning and why were they returning it ?

Very vague details of the goods/reason it kicked-off but very firm views on the racism of the staff...

[LadyDeliah]

I'm just saying what one of the organisers of the protest said to me.

They seemed like pretty decent people, so I don't imagine they'd be protesting if it was some thug who'd been beaten up. I know some of the shopkeepers there and they had a big battle with the Peckham youths last year, putting two in hospital.

It seems to me that they have possibly taken the view that as the police were 'on their side' on that occasion, they have been given carte blanche in their dealings with young black men.

In relation to returning goods, I was told they tried to return faulty mobile phones and were attacked.

[DJKillaQueen]

Surely that would be an issue of assault if unprovoked, and therefore a police matter?

[Bellenden Belle]

Unfortunately I witnessed one such beating in broad daylight (about 4pm) about six weeks ago. I don't know the background and what provoked the attack but it was brutal ( around three men against one) and such vigilante action has no place on any high street.

The police were on the scene and involved.

[KidKruger]

Now why would 3x Khans employees set about a member of the public ?

Could it be a reaction to endless harrassment and attempted intimidation, with minimal interest from the police ?

There's a bigger story here which does not start and end with some wannabe gangster getting a licking fr

[KidKruger]

Now why would 3x Khans employees set about a member of the public ?

Could it be a reaction to endless harrassment and attempted intimidation, with minimal interest from the police ?

There's a bigger story here which does not start and end with some wannabe gangster who's never worked for anything himself getting a licking from storekeepers.

[RosieH]

I don't know KK - is that what you're implying has happened, in which case, details please. Otherwise pure speculation, no?

[KidKruger]

I'm posing some questions as a reaction to the immediacy of the Khan's staff being branded as racists by so-called protesters.

The story which starts and ends with an alleged black man politely attempting to return a faulty mobile device but getting beaten up with sticks for doing so is fantasy at best.

I'm convinced the Khan's staff would have to be defending themselves or protecting their business and stock to behave that way, even then it'd be an extreme or repeat attack against them before they reacted.

The race card may be being played here, because it's an easy one to pull. Avoiding one issue by trying to manufacture another.

Ask the guys in Khans which racial group they get most poncing, thieving and intimidation from.

[Bellenden Belle]

Kidkruger,

I have some sympathy for what you're saying - particularly since I shop regularly at Khans and have always found them really helpful. And truth is, when they fought back against a gang last year I did think 'well, fair's fair'. But actually seeing the reality is quite different - I don't want to shop on a street where people take the law into their own hands like that. I was really shaken by what I saw.

Whether or not Khans are racist I have no idea - for me te behaviour was unacceptable whatever the motive.

[Alan Medic]

Just for the sake of clarity BB, are you saying the beating you witnessed was by the staff of Khans? How could you be so sure?

[Bellenden Belle]

Good point Alan Medic - perhaps it wasn't. The person was beaten from outside Khans, where he stumbled across the street before being dragged back to the corner of the side of Khans. It may well not have been staff.

[Otta]

That does sound pretty brutal. I am all for shop keepers protecting their place, but beat downs in the street are just not acceptable!

[Alan Medic]

Where does it say that Otta? BB has just written that she doesn't actually know.

[Otta]

Okay than, IF it was them (which seems mighty likely), followed by what I wrote above.

Happy?

[Alan Medic]

In all honesty I just didn't make that assumption Otta.

[LadyDeliah]

KK, it seems to me that you may be playing to your own prejudices by dismissing the comments on and observations of the behaviour of the Afghan shopkeepers in this instance as being justified, because the victims(young black men) must have somehow asked for it.

I know some of the Afghan shopkeepers in Peckham Rye quite well and despite them being nice to me, can confirm that I have heard them saying very rascist things about their black customers. You also need to remember a number of them grew up in an active warzone and have a harsher view on how to deal with disputes.

I have mixed race daughters and one of the shopkeepers in particular whose family I know quite well, offered my daughter a job. When I pointed out that this ran contrary to his previously espoused rascist views, he said it was because he didn't see her as 'black'.

I think failing to recognise the racism of the Afghan shopkeepers will not help anyone and is likely to just exacerbate what looks to be a growing issue.

In my view they need to be told that their behaviour is unacceptable because the police were pretty pleased that they beat up the Peckham gang last year and appear to be giving them too wide a margin now.

It needs to be brought back under control before someone is killed and we have race riots in Peckham.

[DJKillaQueen]

Interesting post LadyD. There's no doubt that there is tension between different groups, be they along cultural or ethnic lines. Rye Lane is very diverse in that respect.

[steveo]

You should her what my Sri Lankan shopkeeper friend says about the brothers.

[Jeremy]

The beating sounds scary and inexcusable. But if there really is simmering tension as LadyD is suggesting, I doubt that the aggro is all one way.

[uncleglen]

I say leave 'em all alone and let them kill each other