‘It Doesn’t Matter What Colour, What Creed And What Faith You Are, We All Bleed The Same.’

On Saturday 25 October outside London’s City Hall, bereaved families from across Britain stood together in a powerful display of grief, anger and resolve. Led by legendary campaigner Courtney Barrett, the demonstration laid bare the devastating toll of knife crime — and the failure of a system which continues to let these families down.

On a crisp autumn day, the plaza outside the office of the Mayor of London became a gathering place for heartbreak and hope. Families came from far and wide, drawn together by tragedy and strengthened by shared resolve. They came to speak, to grieve, to demand change — and to say unequivocally: we will not be ignored.

The event was organised by Courtney “The Knife Man” Barrett, whose tireless campaigning on knife crime has made him a figure of hope for bereaved families. Also driving the work on the ground was Havering’s own anti-knife crime campaigner, Sue Hedges, acting in memory of the late Ricky Hayden. Sue’s presence was a beacon of solidarity and support for families who are new to this nightmare.

Families crossed the country to add their voices. The parents of 15-year-old Harvey Willgoose, murdered at school in Sheffield, came to stand alongside others in pain. Harvey died on 3 February this year at All Saints Catholic High School, Sheffield during a lunch break when a pupil brought a 13 cm hunting knife into the school and stabbed him twice — one blow penetrating his ribs and striking his heart.

Then there was 24-year-old Tyreece Scott from Hounslow, stabbed to death in the early hours of 16 January last year on Hibernia Road. He suffered a fatal wound to the chest; two men were later jailed for life with minimum terms of 22 years. His mother spoke of the pain she endures every single day — and how a life full of promise was extinguished by a “callous and cowardly” act.

And the mother of 15-year-old Jalan Woodes‑Bell — who was stabbed to death by a boy armed with 12 Rambo-style knives — delivered one of the most gut-wrenching testimonies of the day. She recalled how her son walked to school in the morning, and then she received an urgent call. A teacher took her by the hand and led her to the place where her boy lay dead. She told listeners:

“Part of me died with Jalan, and every day a little bit more of me dies. I never got to say goodbye to my son. By the time I got to school, he was dead.”

These are not distant statistics or abstract numbers. These are lives — torn apart, shattered, irreparable. “Families such as these never recover. Their lives are broken into pieces and yet no one wants to hear their pain and actually work with them.”

At the microphone, Sue Hedges reminded the crowd that knife crime doesn’t discriminate. “It doesn’t matter what colour, what creed, what sex you are — we all bleed the same.” Her words landed with the weight of lived experience.

On the stage, Courtney Barrett reaffirmed his one singular purpose: to end knife crime, to bring justice for these families, to ensure no other parent receives that call, no other child walks through the school gates carrying fear instead of hope.

Also supporting the event was former gangster turned campaigner Chris Lambrianou, whose raw and heartfelt speech called for love and unity in the face of hatred and weapons. And when Eugene Scarfield — who lost his brother to knife crime — stepped up and read a moving poem in his honour, the plaza fell silent.

This demonstration was more than protest. It was a declaration of grief, a demand for justice, and a platform for change. Outside City Hall, families stood strong, together.

But the question remains: will the system listen? Will it act?

Because these families told us, in no uncertain terms, they feel failed.

Courtney Barrett has a mission-end knife crime and get justice once and for all for the bereaved families.

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