Idris Elba is urging the U.K. government to do more to end knife crime in the country.
The Hollywood actor has launched the “Don’t Stop Your Future” campaign — which is calling for a ban on machetes and “zombie” blades in a bid to end a rash of brutal stabbings and youth violence — and Elba wants politicians to take action as a priority in a bid to save lives.
“I can’t stay silent as more young lives are lost to these brutal and heartless crimes,” the “Luther” star explained about the campaign. “As school returns, too many young people will not be joining their classmates, and too many grieving families have lost a young person they love in recent years.”
“Young people are our future, their potential deserves to be met, not taken away by violence. Parliament has repeatedly not given this issue the focus it deserves, and our political leaders need to prioritize it now. As well as an immediate ban on zombie knives and machetes, we need to give young people more of a reason not to carry a weapon in the first place. That means investing in the services that address the root causes of violent crime,” he added.
The actor launched the campaign by unveiling an installation in London’s Parliament Square on Jan. 8, which featured neatly placed piles of clothes each representing someone who has been killed in a knife attack.
Elba will soon release a single titled “Knives Down” to raise awareness of the issues.
Patrick Green, head of anti-knife crime charity the Ben Kinsella Trust, praised the actor for his efforts to tackle youth violence.
“Idris’s ‘Don’t Stop Your Future’ campaign is a vital and much-needed intervention to shine a spotlight on serious youth violence, which has been neglected for too long,” Green said. “It’s horrifying that hardly a day goes by without the tragic news of someone being hurt, maimed or even killed with a machete or zombie knife.”
