Andy Drozdziak
Catholic peace campaigner Barry Mizen has backed Hollywood star Idris Elba and Arsenal FC to ‘drive’ a campaign to change thinking about knife crime in London.
Luther star Elba, 51, has launched the Don’t Stop Your Future campaign, calling for the immediate banning of machetes and so-called zombie knives.
Several high-profile knife crimes, including the killing of Christian schoolgirl Elianne Andam, have taken place.
The 15-year-old was stabbed to death on her way to school in Croydon, south London, in September 2023, with what is believed to be a large zombie knife. A 17-year-old boy has been charged with murder.
Speaking about the campaign, Elba, who is also releasing a song called Knives Down, said: “I can’t stay silent as more young lives are lost to these brutal and heartless crimes.
“As school returns, too many young people will not be joining their classmates and too many grieving families have lost a young person they love in recent years.
“Young people are our future, their potential deserves to be met, not taken away by violence.”
Meanwhile, Arsenal wore the No More Red white shirt in their 2-0 defeat against Liverpool in the third round of the FA Cup at the Emirates Stadium last Sunday to campaign against knife crime and youth violence.
The unique shirt was first launched in January 2022 by Arsenal and Adidas to raise awareness of the issue and “keep young people safe from knife crime and youth violence”.
Barry Mizen MBE, whose 16-year-old son, Jimmy, was murdered in a London bakery in 2008, told the Universe that Arsenal’s campaign was ‘fantastic’ whilst the attention Idris Elba is drawing ‘needs to be constant and expanding.’
He added that knife crime violence ‘is as bad as it’s ever been.’
“I think most people are either dismissive of the issue, as it’s doesn’t affect them, or simply reiterate ever loudly that something must be done,” he said.
“The issue is as bad as it’s ever been and I wonder if the only answer is to keep the issue in the news, to constantly highlight each and every loss?”
Pointing to the recent ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office, which has brought public attention to the Post Office scandal, Mr Mizen suggested that producing something similar on knife crime might have an ‘impact.’
“Perhaps an example of a change public attention can bring is the horrendous miscarriage of justice that’s happened to sub post masters and the impact a powerful TV portrayal has had,” he said.
“Could a combination of celebrities and professional sport drive a similar change in thinking? Would need a huge ‘buy in’.”
“Ultimately there needs to be a huge shift in thinking, for the idea of carrying a weapon of any sort as being ‘not cool’.”
London-born Arsenal star Eddie Nketiah highlighted the importance of the campaign. He told Sky Sports News: “It’s a lovely campaign, one that I really support.
“Keeping kids occupied and keeping them busy always helps lower the rate of crime. I think it’s really important.”
Downing Street conceded “there is more to do” on tackling knife crime in response to Elba’s campaign.
Picture: Idris Elba during the launch of his Don’t Stop Your Future campaign in Parliament Square, Westminster, central London, calling for the immediate banning of machetes and so-called zombie knives. Yui Mok/PA Wire Copyright notice: © 2024 PA Media, All Rights Reserved
Inset-Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard wears the white shirt