schema:articleBody
| - British police said Thursday they had dropped an investigation into right-wing commentator Darren Grimes after he conducted an interview with a historian who aired racist views. In the June 30 YouTube interview, professor David Starkey had said: "Slavery was not genocide. Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many damn blacks in Africa or in Britain, would there? An awful lot of them survived." Grimes was called in for questioning two weeks ago by London's Metropolitan Police for an alleged "public order offence", but the force said the matter was now closed after consultation with state prosecutors. "Having had the opportunity to review this, it is no longer proportionate that this investigation continues," Metropolitan Commander Paul Brogden said. On Twitter, Grimes claimed vindication. "However, the fact that it was allowed to reach this point, the fact that a precedent has been set that says that a broadcaster or journalist can face police arrest... for interviewing a controversial guest is truly chilling indeed," he said. Starkey himself issued a lengthy apology a week after the interview, which came against the backdrop of the Black Lives Matter movement. But the damage was done as two universities and a publisher cut their links to the professor. "The collapse of the police investigation is also a personal vindication. Back in July I apologised unreservedly for a deplorable choice of words and paid a significant price," Starkey said on Thursday. "Today's announcement however confirms that nothing that I said was racist in fact or in intent. I shall now move forward with both my academic work and my public commentary." jit/txw
|