Idris Elba Urges U.K. Politicians to Fight “Nightmare” of Knife Crime “Epidemic”
Idris Elba kicked off a new initiative Monday, dubbed the “Don’t Stop Your Future” campaign, which urges U.K. politicians to fight the “nightmare” of the knife crime “epidemic” that has made headlines and cost many lives, particularly among younger people, in the country.
“Knife crime is an issue I feel very passionate about and I want to use my voice to raise awareness,” the film, TV and music star wrote on the website. “Together we can put an end to this epidemic!
Don’t stop your future — put the knives down!”
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The initiative “aims to raise serious youth violence to the top of the political agenda, where it belongs,” Elba said in an open letter on the site. “It’s easy to feel like the growing rate of violence is unstoppable. But the fact is that if parliament gives this issue the focus it deserves — this terrible trajectory absolutely can be reversed.”
The star warned of complacency. “Back in August, government promised to ban zombie knives and machetes,” he noted. “But four months later, the legislation needed has only just started its slow journey through parliament. We’re asking for the ban to be implemented immediately.” The name “zombie knives” refers to ornate knives or bladed weapons inspired by zombie films.
According to police statistics for the July 2022 to June 2023 period in England and Wales, a total of 247 people lost their lives to knife violence during that year. Scotland and Northern Ireland, the two other parts of the U.K., have separate statistics.
Elba on Monday staged a protest in London’s Parliament Square to further raise awareness for the issue of knife-related deaths.
“We’re also calling for a new Coalition to End Knife Crime,” he wrote on the campaign’s website. “We need a group that can operate across party lines to bring together everyone with a role to play in tackling this issue — from government to grassroots orgs, sporting bodies to young people themselves.”
Technology powerhouses also need to join the effort, Elba urged. “For this coalition to be truly transformative, it needs to invite tech companies to the table,” he explained. “Weapons are being advertised and sold to kids online every day. They should be stepping up to help — and stopping those who profit from putting weapons in the hands of young people.”
Concluded Elba: “To the political leaders reading this, this can be the moment we turn the tide. The year the numbers reversed course. It’s not too late to end this nightmare for our kids — and make fuel for their dreams instead.”
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