The English riots one year on: 'I live in fear of being stopped again' | Daniel Edu

I was there during the riots last August, and as a young black man, my guilt was assumed and the eyes of the law

"People like you ..." These three words as innocent as they may seem, must be the epitaph of the riots last August

was 3am when the police raided my house looking for stolen goods. "We saw hundreds of people like you before, it suffices to say that the thing is not to lose time," they said. I had nothing to hide. I started watching the hunt for something that was not there.

I was arrested on suspicion of theft and taken to the police station. "I want people who come here every day," I remember said the sergeant on duty, "do not think you're special." I really do not feel special and then once it has been refused bail there was nothing special about spending a month in Feltham young offender institution. It was supposed to be hundreds of other "people like me" in prison, but all other being young and black often felt very alone.

accused of two offenses - habitation with intent to commit a theft and joint venture - and said he was looking to five years in prison. I gave my version of the facts before the court and explained that I had left my house to see all the madness on television in real life - it looked like history in the making and I do not want to miss. I followed the other into a store for five minutes and did not intend to steal anything. I went myself. Empty-handed. "This is what people like you always say," the charge. The judge said he did not believe me. My heart sank. From what I could see, for people like me, fate has already been decided.

• Every black child says the same thing. "We need to do more in life because you are black" My mother was the first to say, and then a white professor gave his version of it on the school: "You're smart, but there are two routes for you. crime or a career as a black child that you should try to be different, "he said.
a teenager, it was difficult to understand. Firstly, you are insecure and just wants to be like everyone else, wearing the same clothes - for me and my friends, it was mostly cheap clothes - and listen to the same music. Secondly, why the hell should I work harder because I'm black?

As I grew

the answer became clear. With this cheap tracksuit, trainers and hoodie entered routine stop and search. Weekly, sometimes daily, if I was with my black friends. But with that came a strange sense of pride. I thought if the tracksuit furious that the police had to continue to use and appeared to be black was to them as a display red bull. But one month in prison, eight weeks in an electronic tag and the chance to spend five years in prison quickly became a sense of pride in fear.

I was released at the end after being acquitted of all charges. That was 10 months ago and my life has not returned to normal. The tracksuit is gone and I always wear jeans and a shirt now and never walk again roads for fear of being arrested again. In many ways, I still feel like I'm labeling.

Like many of my friends, I still feel the police is a community do not understand me. Nobody could understand why the rioters targeted to their local areas, but that night the stores were detained by the police who have always to stop and search. That night, the store I went to the store not really know where I regularly talk to the owner.

There is rarely a day without the prospect of being returned to the place where they kept me not going in my mind. I live an honest life and have a job. I live in the law. But I know that sometimes it is not enough for people like me.