Blair Peach

Blair Peach, 33, was a White schoolteacher and active trade unionist from New Zealand. In 1979, during a large-scale demonstration against the National Front, Blair was hit over the head and killed by a police officer in Southall in west London.

Soon after Blair died, fellow activists formed the Friends of Blair Peach Committee to campaign for justice for Blair and make broader political demands about state violence and failures in post-death investigations. Blair’s partner, Celia Stubbs, went on to become one of the founders of INQUEST.

Following a poorly conducted and biased inquest by the coroner, John Burton, which had previously been adjourned three times, the jury arrived at a verdict of death by misadventure.

The initial report into Blair’s death was not made public until 2010. Led by Commander Cass from the Complaints Investigation Bureau, it confirmed the family’s beliefs, stating that Blair was almost certainly killed by an officer from the Special Patrol Group.

The Spycops inquiry into undercover policing revealed that Celia, alongside other bereaved families, was spied on for decades. Celia continues to speak out about this gross misuse of police power and its impact on bereaved families' quest for justice.