This Is What Can Happen To You In London If You’re ‘Tall, Black And Wearing A Jacket’

“bullet proof vests… tazers… everything.

“When they pulled up all i was thinking was ‘i am NOT getting done like Jean Charles de Menezes’. when they shoot first, ask in depth questions later….“

This is a pretty chilling story, relayed on Twitter by the (awesome) London-based artist and photographer Ray Fiasco.

Security has been heightened in the British capital as the city marks the 10th anniversary of the 7/7 bombings – but this is a terrifying reaction to a threat that simply did not exist, and an insight into what it’s like to “fit the description”.

Whatever the fuck that means.

so im walking through london. listening to young thug. walking towards buckingham palace to go to my boys house in victoria

— ???? (@RayFiasco) July 8, 2015

i was carrying my art with me. as you do when you are me…. my artwork is in a tube. wrapped in plastic… because its london and it rains

— ???? (@RayFiasco) July 8, 2015

now someone saw me walking… enjoying rich gang. with a smile on my face. and decided to conclude that i was carrying a rifle…

— ???? (@RayFiasco) July 8, 2015

so they called every form of police. told them i was carrying a rifle walking towards buckingham palace…

— ???? (@RayFiasco) July 8, 2015

imagine. halfway through ‘givenchy’ 4 bmws pull up, block off the whole road, bout 10 man jump out, guns pointed at me…

— ???? (@RayFiasco) July 8, 2015

bullet proof vests… tazers… everything.

— ???? (@RayFiasco) July 8, 2015

crowd forms… people filming… man are searching my bags… guns still casually pointed at me.

— ???? (@RayFiasco) July 8, 2015

Thankfully the situation was calmed because he had his passport on him at the time – although you shudder to think how the experience might have been for him if he (like most people when they’re walking around their own city) had left it at home.

if i didnt have my passport on me, my day would have gone from 0 – 1million so quickly

— ???? (@RayFiasco) July 8, 2015

but its cool. i finessed the whole thing. had an impromptu exhibition outside buckingham palace… told the people to come to my exhibition

— ???? (@RayFiasco) July 8, 2015

but its cool. i finessed the whole thing. had an impromptu exhibition outside buckingham palace… told the people to come to my exhibition

— ???? (@RayFiasco) July 8, 2015

because obviously a tall black guy with a cardboard tube is carrying a RIFLE… init. makes sense. completely.

— ???? (@RayFiasco) July 8, 2015

At this point, he was composed in a way that most people probably wouldn’t have been – but again, as was the case with the passport, that only raises the more troubling question of what might have happened had he reacted to the stress of the situation in a different way?