The parents of a man who was shot dead by police last year have led a protest in London as they continue to wait for answers a year after his death.

The march to mark the one-year anniversary of Chris Kaba’s death began at New Scotland Yard and ended in Parliament Square on Saturday.

The 23-year-old was killed after the car he was driving was followed through south London by an unmarked police car with no lights or sirens.

He then turned into Kirkstall Gardens, a narrow residential street in Streatham Hill, where there was a collision between the vehicle he was in and an unmarked police car that was waiting for him at the scene.

A police officer who was in that marked vehicle is now referred to as NX121 for legal reasons.

The marksman fired one shot through the windscreen, hitting Mr Kaba in the head.

With the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) yet to make a decision to charge the officer involved in the case, the message from the protesters was clear – they want answers now.

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At the forefront of the protest was Mr Kaba’s father Prosper Kaba and mother Helen Kaba, who both spoke at the event.

“Chris’s matter is our matter,” said Ms Kaba.

“I know I am vulnerable, but I’ve got strength. God has given me the strength to fight till we’ve got justice. We need accountability, we need an answer for what happened to Chris.”

Ms Kaba also criticised the length of the legal process, which began with an Independent Office for Police Conduct investigation in the aftermath of Mr Kaba’s shooting on 5 September last year, before a file was passed to the CPS this March.

“The CPS have got everything, they’ve got evidence to decide to charge the officer who killed Chris,” she said in front of the crowd.

“Why in the 21st century should this happen to Chris? No matter what, we need an answer and we need a charging decision without delay.”

The incident last year sparked protests across the country, taking place on two consecutive weekends in September.

Read more:
Chris Kaba’s family say ‘life became meaningless’ after killing
Family criticise ‘unacceptable’ delay in charging decision

On Saturday the crowd was smaller, a fact some of the speakers alluded to, urging people to continue to support the campaign.

Those who turned out were in full voice, chanting and carrying placards that include the words “justice for Chris Kaba” and “no justice, no peace”.

Mr Kaba’s father has asked why the officer involved was not jailed.

He said: “This officer broke trust between our community and them. To build up this trust they [the police] need to change.”

Speaking before the event, the team campaigning around the family said they want to see the case spark a wider change.

The CPS said it did not provide timescales for charging decisions and prosecutors were “carefully considering the file of evidence”.

A CPS spokesperson said: “As always, we will make that decision independently, based on the evidence and in line with our legal test.”

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