UK police face fresh discrimination claims over urban music

The UK police have been accused of discriminating against the urban music scene by booking agents, umbrella trade group UK Music and even MPs, with commentators saying that the Metropolitan Police's risk assessment of live urban music gigs is based on the ethnicity of the audience and artists, adding that the Police can ask for strict safety measures to be put in place on the basis of this risk assessment, and can cancel gigs at short notice. Sarah McKinley, founder of Xtreme Talent Agency, an urban booking agency, said the risk assessment, using the controversial Form 696, was not being conducted sensibly. "Often the risk assessment happens after the night has been advertised. People have already spent money and then the night can get pulled." and John ho chairs the culture, media and sport committee in the House of Commons, said he continued to call for the "discriminatory and draconian" form 696 to be scrapped, after his committee first demanded its abolition in 2009. More at http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/jan/08/police-accused-discriminating-urban-music?newsfeed=true