Mark Duggan’s funeral met by thousands
The funeral cortège which passed through a small corner of Tottenham was met by three thousand mourners who gathered to pay their respects to Tottenham’s Mark Duggan who was brutally shot and killed by Police marksmen in Tottenham. Mark’s killing triggered four days of rioting not seen in the UK for over 20 years.
These pictures demonstrate the devastating knock-on effect of this brutal killing which has robbed a family of their father, brother, husband, son and friend.
Family, friends and local residents turned out in their masses to support Mark Duggan’s family. Mark Duggan was a family man and father of four. He leaves behind his fiancée, mother, father and family.
From its outset the media was misled by reports which were perceived by some as tantamount to a cover-up. FLYER is not alone in suggesting that the shoulder of responsibility which resulted in widespread civil unrest should lay broadly on those that knowingly misinformed the public and the press. Mark Duggan’s family showed strength and courage in mourning his death amidst the media spotlight.
Mark Dugganwas raised in Tottenham, North London. Mark was reported to have been shy but also popular. His aunt said: “Mark took a while to discover his true path in life and travelled to Jamaica a place he loved at aged nine.”
Mark regularly stayed with his aunt in Manchester and made many new friends. He was held in high regard by the community and peers. He excelled at football then switched to boxing. His Fiancée Semone was a constant, they were drawn even closer following the birth of his fourth child who was still born.
Semone Wilson said in a tribute read out by her sister Michelle: “He gave me four beautiful children and I will always love him for that. We laughed together, we cried together, we faced all the trials and tribulations together.
“We had our ups and downs, but through it all I loved you. You had this way that made me weep. The one thing I know is that you will always have a special place in my heart.”
One mourner (Lady Glitter) said: “Everyone loved Mark he was very popular on the Reggae and Dancehall scene. I saw him recently and it’s all just tragic.”
These words were echoed by popular Reggae band LOC.
The funeral service was held at the New Testament of God Church in Wood Green. The congregation heard speeches most notably from the influential Rev Nims Obunge, a prominent campaigner against gun and knife crime.
Rev Nims Obunge said: “Let mothers not have to come and bury their children, let fathers not have to come and weep for their children the way we weep today.”
He called for “the” funeral to mark a “new turn” in the community and said it was time to “Learn what we need to learn by virtue of his loss,” he added “Let Mark Duggan’s children see today as being a mark of change where we put down our weapons and stand elbow to elbow from wherever we come from.”
The speech ended on a Quote from Winston Churchill, “You make a living by what you get; you make a life by what you give.”
Such was the size of the congregation that speakers and TV monitors were assembled outside of the church. Two thousand people then headed up the road towards the cemetery. The atmosphere was very peaceful as mourners reflected the life of Mark Duggan and celebrated his legacy. The sun bore down on the burial service and in a touching tribute a single white dove was released by Mark Duggan’s children. The Dove circled above the crowds gathered and then flew above the trees.
The children then release a cluster of white balloons to the sounds of Morgan Heritage’s “I’ll be Down by The River” and Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song.”
