Girl gangs in street brawl
May 25 2007


Anne Giokas


A FEUD between two girl gangs involving children as young as 12 escalated into a street fight on Monday evening.

The brawl between 30 girls from Peckham and Brixton took place outside Archbishop Michael Ramsey School in Camberwell New Road, Camberwell, at 6pm on Monday.

One teenage witness, who did not want to be named, said the fight, which saw one girl thrown to the ground and stamped on, was the result of a long-running feud between the groups.

The Peckham girls, known as the PYG, identify themselves by wearing black bandannas in their hair, while the Brixton gang is known as the OCS.

Both gangs have members at South London primary schools - some as young as 10 years old.

The girl said: "Brixton and Peckham don't like each other, that's always been the case. On Monday they were supposed to squash the whole thing,but it didn't happen."

The meeting between the two groups was pre-arranged but violence quickly broke out.

The witness said: "We heard shots and we ran into the Co-op - it was the safest place to go.

"This girl was running, they got her on the ground and I saw them stamping on her.

"Everyone in the Co-op was phoning the police.We were shouting out for the girls to stop."

Police and paramedics arrived, and two girls were treated. One 16-year-old was taken to hospital.

A police spokesman confirmed there had been a fight outside the school in Farmers Road but said they had no reports of a gun being fired.

A spokesman said: "Police were called to a fight outside Archbishop Michael Ramsey School.

"We believe the fight spilled into nearby Camberwell New Road.

"We made several arrests but the investigation is ongoing."

The witness who spoke to the South London Press is a member of one of the gangs.

The girl said they have carved Brixton and Peckham up between them and that the rule is: "You can't go into each other's territory."

Her worried mother said: "I want to protect her but I don't know what is going on out there. There are kids wanting to kill each other."

SO WHAT DO PEOPLE THINK?
For those who never caught the bulletin I posted, here's what I wrote to hopefully inspire debate. - "Decided to take a different slant on the theme this time.
I have mentioned gangs on our streets.
If we take the perspective that these young people are actually AT WAR with themselves, their family or carers, with society at large we see street is their battle ground while they struggle to find a sense of self, to belong, to find indentity. Ultimately puberty itself is a war zone for those of us who remember how hard it was back then let alone in these nutty times."

Let the dialogue between us. Not the government or the police or the care system. Let us who pass them on the street everyday, those of us who may work with them, who see some of these young girls as our own family, or have them as blood family enter a discussion.
Peace Y'all
*~Z~*