The New Dark Age

Every year there are rumblings from the Met Police and concerned politicians about the need to clamp down on Notting Hill Carnival. 

Police targetting of Black-led community events like Carnival has a long history, and Netpol has previously been involved in community monitoring of racist policing around the event.

In 2024 a hand-wringing dossier was produced by the Metropolitan Police Federation following Carnival, with police officers warning that the event was characterised by “utter lawlessness” and complaining that police feel “practically powerless to police this event… It’s a war zone we are sent into year after year”.

This year, police intend to deploy live facial recognition technology at the event. Facial recognition technology is infamously unreliable when it comes to tracking racialised people, and it will be accompanied by a heavy police presence and the use of stop and search to target individuals. 

If you’re going to Carnival, make sure you’ve read our guide to facial recognition technology and checked our rough guide to filming the police during a stop and search.

For more information on stop and search, StopWatch have excellent resources covering what to do if you’re stopped, bystanding a stop and search, and resources for parents and young people.

Check out the StopWatch materials now.

Global Majority Copwatch have also put out some resources on looking out for each other and keeping safe amidst facial recognition at Notting Hill Carnvial, which you can find here.