Mangrove 2020

Opening night tension at the Mangrove

Frank Crichlow opens the Mangrove restaurant in Notting Hill, aiming to create a community hub for Caribbean residents. On the first night, Constable Frank Pulley mutters that Black people must be kept in their place, setting a hostile tone. The event foreshadows a conflict between the police and the neighborhood.

Pulley's confrontations begin

After hours, Pulley aggressively confronts Crichlow, accusing the Mangrove of attracting drug dealers, gamblers, and prostitutes. This marks the start of a campaign of raids by the police against Crichlow and his restaurant. The raids drive the business toward financial distress.

Community rallies in defense

Neighborhood residents organize to support the Mangrove and protest police conduct. A march through Notting Hill demonstrates solidarity and draws attention to the tensions between police and Caribbean immigrants. The event mobilizes Black residents and allies.

Beginning of charges against protesters

A year after the raids, several protesters including Crichlow, Barbara Beese, Altheia Jones-LeCointe, Darcus Howe, and others are charged with minor offenses as the authorities clamp down. The case signals how the community's resistance is being criminalized. The protest movement tries to sustain its momentum despite legal pressure.

Mangrove Nine charged with riot and affray

A year after the initial protests, the Mangrove Nine face serious charges of riot and affray. The charges mark a shift from minor offenses to a high-profile confrontation with police conduct. The community braces for a trial that will spotlight race and policing in Britain.

Trial begins at the Old Bailey

In 1970, the Mangrove Nine's trial opens, turning the case into a national issue. The defendants insist that race informs the case and press for a jury that reflects the Black community. The courtroom becomes a stage for debates about law, bias, and the treatment of Black defendants.

Efforts to secure an all-Black jury

The defendants argue that their trial requires a Black jury to ensure impartiality. Prosecutors resist the request, highlighting the contentious nature of jury selection in cases involving race. The judge declines to grant an all-Black jury, underscoring the trial's racial politics.

Cross-examinations reveal tensions

As witnesses testify, Jones-LeCointe and Howe, who represent themselves, challenge alleged fabrications in Pulley's testimony and errors in the medical examiner's report. The defense's sharp questions expose inconsistencies and attempt to undermine the Crown's case. The courtroom becomes a battleground over credibility.

Pulley tries to feed answers from the box

Pulley attempts to feed answers to a colleague while in the witness box, interrupting the proceedings. Court officers eject him temporarily to prevent further interference. The disruption tests the integrity of the trial and the balance of control in the courtroom.

Beese interrupts with protest chant

Barbara Beese interrupts a witness with a chant declaring 'the officer has nothing to do with the case,' and she is soon joined by other defendants and observers. The deliberate interruption raises questions about decorum and the limits of protest within a courtroom. The judge responds with admonitions as the tension tightens.

Judge Clarke's control and adjournment

Judge Edward Clarke reprimands the defendants and observers for disrupting the proceedings and orders an adjournment to let emotions settle. The moment underscores the courtroom's fragility under pressure from both sides. The crowd calms briefly as the case resumes.

Disruptions escalate and officers are replaced

Crichlow and Howe are roughly dragged out of the court box and placed in solitary cells due to disruption. In response to defense objections, Judge Clarke replaces the entire corps of court officers. The move signals a radical attempt to restore order and fairness inside the courtroom.

Crichlow's plea and pregnancy reveal

Crichlow is advised to plead guilty by his counsel but chooses to maintain his innocence after Beese reveals she is pregnant. The tension around loyalty and collective defense deepens as the trial progresses. The defense team and Beese's pregnancy become pivotal moments in the proceedings.