Notting Hill Carnival, not the cause of knife crime, says event CEO

Notting Hill Carnival is not the cause of knife crime, said the managing director of the event today.

Matthew Phillip also announced larger security measures before this year's festival, which will take place from August 23 to 25.

When he spoke to the crowd at the launch party of the carnival on Thursday, he said that the money collected by the municipal council and the mayor of London would be taken on the event that takes place on August Bank on vacation weekend.

The carnival has also teamed up with the Hope Foundation of Actor Idris Elba and its campaign that does not stop their future (Dsyf) to fight knives and violent crimes in London communities.

Mr. Phillip asked the people to criticize the carnival that has been criticized in recent years, including the murders of two people in the past year, to be criticized to be killed before her three-year-old daughter, and chef Mussie Imnetu.

The 21 -year -old Takayo Nembhard was stabbed in 2022.

Mr. Phillip said: “Messer crime is not a carnival problem. Youth power is not a carnival problem.

“These are serious national problems, and although some statistics have improved, the roots remain poverty, isolation, racist inequality, separation and the lack of hope, especially for young people.

“Carnival does not cause these problems. It does not create violence. In fact, it offers many reliefs.”

The concerns regarding security in the carnival also contributed to uncertainty about the future, and the organizers of the festival wrote to the government at the beginning of this year to ask for urgent funds.

The Carnival Chair Ian Comfort asked the government to manage more funds to manage the event and to align security concerns

Finally, the town hall, the Royal Borough von Kensington and Chelsea Council and the city council of Westminster money, provided money, so that this year's event could take place.

Notting Hill Carnival will run from August 23 to 25 (Lucy North/Pa))

Mr. Phillip said: “What started as a little courage on the streets of Notting Hill has developed into one of the greatest cultural events in the world.

“This growth brings joy, but also brings great responsibility. Every year over a million people go through these streets.

“We strengthen every element of our surgical infrastructure: more trained stewards, expanded CCTV coverage and parade coordination, faster response systems for stewards and security teams as well as extended crowd management infrastructure and personnel to give an example for some of the initiatives that start.

“These are not tick boxes. They are a real commitment to care, precision and protection of the community.”

The carnival has parades, steel cheese costumes, ligaments, sound systems and stages.

People are invited to connect a 72-second wire on Sunday and Monday at 3 p.m. to honor people who died in the Tower Fire Grenfell, and Kelso Cochrane, who was murdered in 1959 in a racially motivated attack in Notting Hill.