Three black students murdered in Greenwich were honored at a memorial service on 13 July.
The annual event, now in its 13th year, is held to remember the lives of:
Rolan Adams (23.03.75 - 21.02.91)
Rohit Duggal (21.05.76 - 11.07.92)
Stephen Lawrence (13.09.74 - 22.04.93)
These three black students were murdered by racists on the streets of Greenwich. The senseless murders stole them from their families and denied the wider community the benefits of their talents, intellect and potential.
Two minutes silence
The memorial programme included performances by pupils from schools across the borough. This included a gospel choir, singers from Abbey Wood School and a Mystical Dance.
Two minutes silence was held at 7.55 pm.
Tolerance and decency
Shami Chakrabarti, director of Liberty, made a speech to a standing ovation. In it he said:
"I’m here to suggest that Rolan, Rohit and Stephen did not die in vain and that hate is losing and tolerance and common decency are winning.
"We share belief in the precious nature of every single human being. That is what human rights is about - dignity, quality and justice for every single human being."
All welcome
Deputy leader Cllr Angela Cornforth who also spoke at the event said:
"The borough has welcomed people across the globe who have come here to improve their lives and enrich our society."
14 July 2006