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'''Extrajudicial punishment''' is [[physical]] punishment without the permission of a court or legal authority, and as such, constitutes a violation of basic human rights (such as the right to [[due process]] and [[humane]] treatment). [[Agents]] of a [[state apparatus]] may sometimes carry out this type of punishment if they come to the conclusion that a person is an imminent threat to security. The existence of extrajudicial punishment is considered proof that some governments will break their own [[legal code]] if deemed necessary. [[Non-governmental]] or non-state actors, including private individuals, have also resorted to different forms of extrajudicial punishment, though such actions are more properly called [[assassination]], [[murder]] or [[vigilantism]] instead.
{{Infobox England place|
|Latitude= 53.744956
|Longitude= -2.476927
|Population= [[List of English cities by population|105,085]]
|Place= Blackburn
|District= [[Blackburn with Darwen]]
|Region= [[North West England]]
|Ceremonial= [[Lancashire]]
|Traditional= [[Lancashire]]
|Police= [[Lancashire Constabulary]]
|Fire= [[Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service]]
|Constituency= [[Blackburn (UK Parliament constituency)|Blackburn]]
|Euro= [[North West England (European Parliament constituency)|North West England]]
|PostalTown= BLACKBURN
|PostCode= BB1 - BB2
|DiallingCode= 01254
|GridReference= SD685277
}}
: ''This article is about Blackburn in Lancashire, England. For other uses of the name, see [[Blackburn (disambiguation)]].''
==Existence==
'''Blackburn''' is a town in [[Lancashire]], [[England]]. It is the main part of the [[Blackburn with Darwen]] borough, which has a population of [[List of English districts by population|140,200]]. It was a key centre for the [[textile]] industry during the [[Industrial Revolution]] and is popularly known as the home of [[Blackburn Rovers F.C.|Blackburn Rovers Football Club]]. Blackburn is situated to the north of the [[West Pennine Moors]].
Although the legal use of [[capital punishment]] is generally decreasing around the world, individuals or groups deemed immediately threatening — or even, in times of comparative stability, simply "undesirable" — to a government's ability to govern may nevertheless be targeted for killing [[extra-judicially]] by some regimes or their representatives. Such killing typically happens quickly, with skilled secret security forces on a covert basis, performed in such a way as to avoid massive public outcry and international criticism that would reflect badly on the state.
Another possibility is for [[overt]], [[uniformed security forces]] to kill the target, but often under circumstances that make it appear as [[self-defense]], such as by planting recently-fired weapons near his body, or [[fabricating evidence]] suggesting [[suicide by cop]]. In such cases, it can be surprisingly difficult to prove that the shooters acted wrongly. Because of the dangers inherent in any armed confrontation, even police or soldiers who would strongly, genuinely prefer to take their target alive may still kill him to protect themselves or civilians. Only in the most obvious cases, such as the [[Operation Flavius]] triple killing or the shooting of [[Jean Charles de Menezes]] will the authorities admit that [["kill or capture"]] was replaced with [["shoot on sight"]].
Blackburn is known to fans of [[The Beatles]] as the town featured in the song "[[A Day in the Life]]". An article in the ''[[Daily Mail]]'' about a plan to fill potholes in the town caught [[John Lennon]]'s eye as he was writing the song, giving birth to the lyric: "I read the news today. Oh, boy. 4,000 holes in Blackburn Lancashire". This lends itself to the title of the unofficial [[fanzine]] of Blackburn Rovers, which is called "4,000 Holes".
Extrajudicial punishment is a typical feature of [[totalitarianism|totalitarian]] and other [[political repression|politically repressive]] regimes using [[death squad]]s for this purpose, but even self-proclaimed or internationally recognized [[democracies]] have been known to use extrajudicial punishment under certain circumstances. In some cases, extrajudicial punishment may be planned and carried out [[covertly]] by a particular branch of a state and its specific agents, without previously informing other sectors or even without having been secretly ordered to commit such acts. The other branches of the state can tacitly approve of it after the fact, but they can also directly disagree with it depending on the circumstances, especially when complex intragovernment or internal policy struggles exist within a state's policymaking apparatus.
==Demographics==
According to the [[Politics of the United Kingdom|UK Government]]'s [[United Kingdom Census 2001|2001 census]], Blackburn has a population of 105,085.<ref>[http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/ssdataset.asp?vlnk=8271&Pos=2&ColRank=1&Rank=224 KS01 Usual resident population: Census 2001, Key Statistics for urban areas], [[Office for National Statistics]]</ref> According to the same statistics, some of which include the small town of [[Darwen]] to the south, the town is 77.9% [[White British]] (national average for [[England and Wales]] 91.3%) with significant [[India]]n (10.7%) and [[Pakistan]]i (8.7%) ethnic minorities.<ref>Office for National Statistics, Census 2001. ''[http://www.statistics.gov.uk/census2001/profiles/00ex.asp Statistics about Blackburn]''.</ref> 9.6% of the population was born outside the [[European Union]]. In terms of [[religion]], 63.3% of residents are [[christianity|christian]] (national average 71.7%), 19.4% [[islam|muslim]] (national average 3.0%) with 16.6% no religion or not stated. This gives the town the third highest proportion of muslims in England and Wales and the highest outside [[London]].
In times of [[war]], [[natural disaster]], [[societal collapse]], or in the absence of an established system of [[criminal justice]], there may be an increased incidence of extrajudicial punishment. In such [[extreme circumstances]], police or military personnel may be authorised to [[summary execution|summarily execute]] individuals involved in [[rioting]], [[looting]] or [[violent acts]], especially if caught '' [[in flagrante delicto]]''.
55.1% of the town are in employment, with 4.1% unemployed and 1.2% long term unemployed. This compares unfavourably with respective national averages of 60.6%, 3.4% and 1.0%. 8.7% of residents are looking after a home and/or family, the fifth highest for any borough in England and Wales. Average houselhold size is 2.54 people, the 9th highest in England and Wales. The town is slightly below the national averages on health indicators. Just over one in five (20.3%) of the population say they have a "limiting long term illness" compares with a national average of 18.2%. Over one in ten (11.1%) describe their general health as "not good" compared with an average of 9.2%.
A [[forced disappearance|"disappearance"]] occurs where someone who is believed to have been targeted for [[extrajudicial execution]] does not reappear alive. Their ultimate fate is thereafter unknown or never fully confirmed.
==Geography==
===Location and transport links===
Blackburn is situated in the county of [[Lancashire]] to the north of the [[West Pennine Moors]]. Although the city of [[Preston]], the administrative town of the county, is located around 14.8 km (9.2 miles) to the west, Blackburn is the largest municipality in what is known as East Lancashire. The town is bounded on other sides by smaller towns, including [[Accrington]] to the east and [[Darwen]] to the south, with which Blackburn comprises the [[Blackburn with Darwen]] [[unitary authority]]. Around 4 km (2.5 miles) to the north of the town centre is [[Wilpshire]], including the small village of [[Langho]], just within the boundary of the [[Ribble Valley]]. A number of even smaller localities are sometimes considered extended suburbs of Blackburn, including [[Rishton]] to the east, [[Great Harwood]] to the north east and [[Mellor, Lancashire|Mellor]] to the north west. Rishton, Great Harwood and Accrington are part of the [[local government district]] of [[Hyndburn]]. 17 km (10 miles) further to the east lies the town of [[Burnley]]ref>[http://local.google.com/?ie=UTF8&z=12&ll=53.739371,-2.477074&spn=0.084474,0.346069&om=1 Map of Blackburn and surrounding region], ''[[Google Maps]]''; [http://www.recpath.com/Free/GMap.html RecPath] used for distances.</ref>
==Around the world==
Blackburn is served by a [[Blackburn railway station|newly redeveloped train station]] located in the town centre next to the bus station and served by [[Northern Rail]]. The nearest train station on the [[West Coast Main Line]] is [[Preston railway station|Preston]]. Blackburn is located at junction 4 of the [[M65 motorway]]. The town is less than an hour's drive from [[Manchester]] and [[Blackpool]] and just over an hour away from [[Liverpool]], [[Leeds]] and [[Chester]].<ref>Transport information from [http://www.blackburn.gov.uk/server.php?show=ConWebDoc.10679 Teaching in Blackburn with Darwen], Blackburn with Darwen Council, accessed 27 October 2006</ref>
See [[NKVD troika]] and [[Special Council of the NKVD]] for examples from the history of the Soviet Union , where extrajudicial punishment "[[by administrative means]]" was part of the state policy. Most Latin American dictatorships have regularly instituted extrajudicial killings of their enemies; for one of the better-known examples, see ''[[Operation Condor]].''
<ref> http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3821/is_200610/ai_n17195860 </ref>
Some consider the killing of [[Black Panther Party|Black Panther]] [[Fred Hampton]] to have been an extrajudicial killing ordered by the [[United States]] government. Also, the U.S. has been accused of exercising a covert prison system set up by the [[CIA]] in several countries, especially [[Egypt]], to evade [[U.S. jurisdiction]]. <ref> http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/01/AR2005110101644.html </ref> The deaths of the leaders of the leftist urban guerilla group Red Army Faction [[Ulrike Meinhof]], [[Andreas Baader]], [[Gudrun Ensslin]], and [[Jan-Carl Raspe]] is by some regarded as extrajudicial killings, a theory partly based on the testimony of [[Irmgard Möller]] .
The government of Israel has also been accused of carrying out extrajudicial killings, which they term "targeted assassinations," against leaders of organisations involved in carrying out attacks against Israel. The Israeli government and its defenders, however, consider these people to be [[enemy combatant]]s and not [[civilians]]; claiming they are legitimate military targets as per the [[Laws of war|rules of engagement]].{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
===Geology and terrain===
[[Image:BlackburnCoalPit.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Sketch of [[coal mining]] equipment on Coalpit Moor, formerly known as Blackburn Moor, from 1846.]]
During the [[apartheid]] years [[South Africa|South Africa's]] security forces were also accused of using extra-judicial means to deal with their political opponents. After his release, [[Nelson Mandela]] would refer to these acts as proof of a [[Third force (South Africa)|Third Force]] . This was denied vehemently by the administration of [[F.W. de Klerk]]. Later the [[South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission]], led by Archbishop [[Desmond Tutu]] would find that both military and police agencies such as the [[Civil Cooperation Bureau]] and [[C10]] based at [[Vlakplaas]] were guilty off gross [[human rights violations]]. This led the [[International Criminal Court]] to declare apartheid a [[crime against humanity]].
Located in the midst of the East Lancashire Hills, some areas of the town are characterised by steep slopes. The town centre is located in a depression surrounded by a number of hills. The area of Revidge to the north can be reached via a steep climb up Montague Street and Dukes Brow to reach a peak of 218 metres above [[sea level]]. To the west, the wooded Billinge Hill in [[Witton Country Park]] is 245 metres, while [[Queens Park Hospital]] in the east has a vantage point of 202 metres.<ref>[http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/getamap/ Blackburn], Ordnance Survey Get-a-map, accessed 27 October 2006</ref> These figures can be considered in the context of other hills and mountains in Lancashire, including [[Great Hill]] (456 metres), [[Winter Hill (Lancashire)|Winter Hill]] (456 metres), [[Pendle Hill]] (557 metres) and [[Green Hill (Lancashire)|Green Hill]] (628 metres).
==Extra-judicial killings==
The [[River Blakewater]], which gives its names to the town, flows down from the moors above [[Guide, Lancashire|Guide]] and then through the areas of Whitebirk, Little Harwood, Cob Wall and Brookhouse to the town centre. The river was [[culvert]]ed during the [[industrial revolution]] and runs underground in the town centre, under Ainsworth Street and between [[Blackburn Cathedral]] and Blackburn Bus Station. On the western side of the town centre the Blakewater continues under Whalley Banks and through the Redlam area before joining the River Darwen outside Witton Country Park and continuing on to join the [[River Ribble]] at [[Walton-le-Dale]].
:''For extrajudicial executions see also [[Assassination]] ''
The geology of the Blackburn area yields numerous resources which underpinned its development as a centre of manufacturing during the industrial revolution. [[mining|Mineable]] [[coal seam]]s have been utilised since the mid-late 16th century.<ref>[http://www.cottontown.org/page.cfm?pageid=1251&language=eng Coal mining in Blackburn with Darwen], Cotton Town Project, accessed 27 October 2006</ref> The [[coal measure]]s in the area lie on a bed of [[millstone grit]], which has been [[quarry|quarried]] in the past for [[millstone]]s and, along with local [[limestone]] deposits, used as a construction material for roads and buildings. In addition, there were deposits of [[iron ore]] in the [[Furness]] and [[Ulverston]] districts.<ref>[http://www.cottontown.org/page.cfm?pageid=564&language=eng Geography and geology], Cottontown Project, accessed 27 October 2006]</ref> The Blackburn area was subjected to [[glaciation]] during the [[Pleistocene|Pleistocene ice age]], and the [[sandstone]]-and-[[shale]] bedrock is overlain in much of the area by [[glacial deposit]]s called [[till]] (which is also called "boulder clay") of varying thickness up to several tens of feet. [[Glacial outwash]] (sand and gravel) also occur in small patches, including along Grimshaw Brook.<ref>[http://www.grimshaworigin.org/WebPages/GeolBlak.htm Geology of the Blackburn Area], Grimshaw Origins and History, 2000</ref> <ref>[http://lancashire.gov.uk/environment/landscape/landscapecharacass/contents.asp A Landscape Strategy for Lancashire - Landscape Character Assessment], Lancashire County Council</ref> <ref>[http://www.blackburn.gov.uk/upload/doc/contaminated_land.doc Contaminated land inspection strategy], Blackburn with Darwen Council</ref>
Extrajudicial killings are the illegal killing of leading political, trades union, dissident and/or social figures by either the state government, [[state authorities]] like the armed forces and police (as in [[Liberia]] under [[Charles G. Taylor]] ), or by [[criminal outfits]] like the [[Italian]] [[Mafia]].
=== Areas ===
Blackburn consists of a number of areas:
{|cellspacing=10
| valign=top |
*Audley
*Bank Hey
*Bank Top
*Bastwell
*Beardwood
*Billinge
*Brookhouse
*Brownhill
| valign=top |
*Cherry Tree
*Ewood
*Feniscowles
*Fernhurst
*Griffin
*Higher Croft
*Lammack
| valign=top |
*Little Harwood
*Livesey
*Mill Hill
*Nova Scotia
*Pleckgate
*Queen's Park
*Redlam
*Revidge
| valign=top |
*Roe Lee
*Shadsworth
*Shear Brow
*Sunnybower
*Wensley Fold
*Whitebirk
*Witton
|}
Extrajudicial killings and [[death squads]] are most common in the Middle East (mostly in Palestine and [[Iraq]]) <ref> http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=FUL20051124&articleId=1315 </ref> <ref> http://www.electronicintifada.net/bytopic/extrajudicial-killings.shtml </ref> <ref> http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engamr510792005 </ref> <ref> http://www.brusselstribunal.org/FullerKillings.htm </ref> <ref> http://soccerdad.baltiblogs.com/archives/2007/06/24/extrajudicial_killings_hamas_style.html </ref>, Central America<ref>http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/US_ThirdWorld/deathsquads_ElSal.html</ref>
==Politics==
<ref>http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGAMR290151996?open&of=ENG-SLV</ref>
:''For general election results, see [[Blackburn (UK Parliament constituency)]] (1955-); [[Blackburn East (UK Parliament constituency)]] and [[Blackburn West (UK Parliament constituency)]] (1950-1955); [[Blackburn (historic UK Parliament constituency)]] (1832-1950)''
<ref>http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/nsa/publications/elsalvador2/index.html</ref> , [[Afghanistan]], [[Bangladesh]] <ref> http://www.allamericanpatriots.com/48723123_world_bangladesh_release_journalist_and_rights_activist </ref>
, [[India]] and Kashmir <ref> http://usa.mediamonitors.net/content/view/full/44302 </ref>
<ref> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/6367917.stm </ref>
<ref> http://www.gharib.demon.co.uk/reports/ustates.htm </ref>
<ref> http://sangam.org/taraki/articles/2006/09-19_Extrajudicial_Killings.php?uid=1954 </ref> <ref> http://www.tamilnation.org/intframe/us/060529ustamils.htm </ref>
<ref> http://www.hrdc.net/sahrdc/hrfeatures/HRF71.htm </ref> several nations or regions in [[Equatorial Africa]]<ref>http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/30001/story.htm</ref>
, many parts of [[South America]] <ref> http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGAMR190082007 </ref>, [[Chechnya]] , <ref> http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article2293482.ece </ref>, [[Russia]]<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6163502.stm</ref>
, [[Uzbekistan]], [[North Ossetia]], parts of [[Thailand]] <ref> http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2003/407/ </ref>
<ref> http://newsinfo.inq7.net/breakingnews/nation/view_article.php?article_id=11686 </ref> and in the [[Philippines]] <ref> http://www.pinoyhr.net/ </ref> <ref> http://hrw.org/reports/2007/philippines0607/ </ref> <ref> http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article2692483.ece} </ref> <ref> http://www.radiopinoyusa.com/radiopinoy_news.php?id=NEWS-00592} </ref>
<ref> http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2007/07271.htm </ref> <ref> http://newsinfo.inq7.net/breakingnews/nation/view_article.php?article_id=11686 </ref>.
The 3 different modern examples are listed in the sub-headings below, along with the 'Cold War' to help to illustrate the point.
Blackburn is administered by [[Blackburn with Darwen]] [[unitary authority]], which encompasses Blackburn and the small town of [[Darwen]] to the south. Blackburn council and its successor have been controlled by the [[The Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] since 1945. The town sends one [[Member of Parliament|MP]] to [[British House of Commons|Westminster]], the current [[Leader of the House of Commons]] and former [[Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs|Foreign Secretary]], [[Jack Straw (politician)|Jack Straw]]. Previous MPs for Blackburn include former Labour cabinet minister [[Barbara Castle]], who represented the town in Westminster from 1945 to 1979.
===Cold war usage===
The [[Blackburn (historic UK Parliament constituency)|historic constituency of Blackburn]] sent two MPs to Westminster, was created for the [[United Kingdom general election, 1832|1832 general election]] and abolished in [[United Kingdom general election, 1950|1950]]. It was replaced for one parliamentary term by two new single-member constituencies, [[Blackburn East (UK Parliament constituency)|Blackburn East]] and [[Blackburn West (UK Parliament constituency)|Blackburn West]], before being replaced at the [[United Kingdom general election, 1955|next general election]] when the two were merged into the [[Blackburn (UK Parliament constituency)|modern day constituency]], returning a single MP.
[[Image:Nguyen.jpg|right|thumb|200px|[[General]] [[Nguyễn Ngọc Loan]] summarily executes [[Nguyễn Văn Lém]].]]
Allegations of vote-rigging and corruption have dogged the Labour controlled council in recent years. In April 2005, local councillor Mohammed Hussain was jailed for three years for rigging the 2002 town hall election by stealing at least 230 [[postal voting|postal vote ballots]] in his ward<ref>[http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/headlines/display.var.1144944.0.voterigging_crackdown.php Vote-rigging Crackdown], Lancashire Telegraph, 24 January 2007. Retreived 31 January 2007.</ref>. Straw was challenged in the [[United Kingdom general election, 2005|2005 general election]] by a former [[Foreign and Commonwealth Office|Foreign Office]] subordinate, the ex-British ambassador to [[Uzbekistan]] [[Craig Murray]]. Murray stood for election in Blackburn on a platform of opposition to the [[2003 invasion of Iraq|war in Iraq]] and electoral corruption. Murray described the constituency as a "Labour [[rotten borough]]" and said of the build up to the election, "I've been approached by several people in the Asian community who are under huge pressure from Labour activists to apply for a postal vote rather than a ballot vote and then hand their postal vote over to the Labour party." Over 50% more people used postal votes in the 2005 general election in Blackburn than in 2001.<ref>Could the election be won by fraud?, Robert Winnett and Abul Taher, ''[[The Sunday Times (UK)|The Sunday Times]]'', 10 April 2005</ref> The anti-Straw vote was split, however, and the incumbent was returned with a comfortable majority of over 8,000.
The former [[Soviet Union]] and [[Communist Bloc]] country used to also killed dissidents this way to, during the [[Cold War]]. Those who were not killed were sent to '[[Gulag]]' prison camps.
Around 20% of the Blackburn's population come from [[ethnic minorities]] and in recent years the town has witnessed a resurgence in the fortunes of [[far-right]] political parties in local elections. The council currently has two members for the [[England First]] party, [[Mark Cotterill]] for Meadowhead ward and Michael Johnson for Fernhurst.<ref>[http://www.blackburn.gov.uk/server.php?show=ConWebDoc.6977 Meadowhead] and [http://www.blackburn.gov.uk/server.php?show=ConWebDoc.6969 Fernhurst], [[Blackburn with Darwen Council]] website</ref> Members of the [[British National Party]] (BNP) have previously won a council seat in the town in November 2002 following elections in May which saw three of their colleagues elected in nearby [[Burnley]]. The BNP's Robin Evans secured a 16-vote majority in Mill Hill ward with two recounts following a campaign utilising pub meetings and leafleting.<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/farright/story/0,11981,845853,00.html BNP snatches council seat in Straw constituency], David Ward, ''[[The Guardian]]'', 23 November 2002</ref> The incumbent [[Liberal Democrats]] were pushed into third place behind [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]]. Although plans had been blocked by the time of the poll, proposals to convert a nursing home in the ward into a centre for [[asylum seeker]]s were seen as a key election issue.<ref>Straw condemns BNP after victory in his backyard, Graeme Wilson, Adam Powell, ''[[Daily Mail]]'', 23 November 2002</ref> Developments in Burnley and Blackburn were regarded as something of a renaissance for the far right in British politics, no such councillors had been elected in the UK since victories in [[Tower Hamlets]] nearly ten years before.<ref>"BNP wins seat on East End council after recount", Mary Braid and Nick Walker, ''[[The Independent]]'', 17 September 1993</ref>
[[Nguyễn Văn Lém ]] (referred to as Captain Bay Lop) (died 1 [[February 1968]] in Saigon ) was a member of the [[Viet Cong]] who was summarily executed in [[Saigon]] during the [[Tet Offensive]]. The picture of his death would became one of may an anti- [[Vietnam War]] icons in the [[Western World]]. <ref> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nguy%E1%BB%85n_V%C4%83n_L%C3%A9m </ref>
[[Image:RiceStraw.jpg|thumb|left|200px|[[Condoleezza Rice]] and [[Jack Straw (politician)|Jack Straw]] in February 2006.]]
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{{BwDCouncil}}
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During the 1960s throughout the 1970s death squads were used against the [[Viet Cong]] cadre as well as supporters in neighbouring countries notably [[Cambodia]]. See also [[Phoenix Program]] (also known as Phung Hoang). The [[Viet Cong]] also used death squads of their own against civilians for political reasons. {{Facts|date=February 2007}}
Commenting on the elections, Blackburn MP Jack Straw said: "It is very sad. We had the far right in Blackburn 26 years ago when they won two seats in Shadsworth. But there the whole community decided they wouldn't have it. You can never say they won't put candidates in Blackburn but we will work hard on community relations."<ref>BNP secures three seats, UK [[Newsquest]] Regional Press, David Higgerson, 27 November 2002</ref> Blackburn had two council members from the [[National Front]] in the 1970s. Although many towns in [[North West England]] suffered race riots in the summer of 2001, the streets of Blackburn remained quiet.
The use of computers by the American forces to compile lists of 'suspects' as well as the indefinite detention of 'suspects' in 'black' locations as well as their detention, torture, and execution without judicial oversight or protection is typical of American [[black ops]] in the Post World War II era.
[[Argentina]] used extrajudicial killings as way of crushing the [[liberal]] and [[communist]] opposition to the military [[Junta]] during the '[[Dirty war]]' <ref> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirty_War </ref> of the late [[1960's]] and most of the [[1970's]]. The [[Chilean]] Junta of [[1972]] to [[1992]] also committed such killings to. See [[Operation Condor]] for examples.
The town was the subject of international media interest in 2006 when [[U.S. Secretary of State]] [[Condoleezza Rice]] visited the Blackburn and [[Liverpool]] from 31 March to 1 April during a tour of European capitals. The visit reciprocated a trip made by Jack Straw to Rice's home state of [[Alabama]] when he was [[UK Foreign Secretary]]. Rice's itinerary included Pleckgate School, [[Ewood Park]] football stadium and the Town Hall in Blackburn while in Liverpool she attended a classical music concert. Rice's visit was met with protests from anti-war and human rights campaigners, although many local residents expressed support of the visit.{{fact}} The committee at Masjid Al Hidayah Mosque on Millham Street, Blackburn, in conjunction with Muslim scholars from the region, withdrew an invitation to Ms Rice to visit the mosque due to safety issues.{{fact}}
Also during the [[Communist]] versus [[Capitalist]] [[Salvadoran civil war]], death squads achieved notoriety when [[far-right]] [[vigilantes]] [[assassinated]] [[Archbishop Óscar Romero]] for his social activism in [[March 1980]]. In [[December 1980]], three [[United States|American]] [[nuns]] and a lay worker were raped and murdered by a [[military unit]] later found to have been acting on specific orders. [[Death squads]] were instrumental in killing hundreds of peasants and activists. Because the death squads involved were found to have been soldiers of the [[Salvadoran military]], which was receiving U.S. funding and training from American advisers during the Carter administration. <ref> http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/US_ThirdWorld/deathsquads_ElSal.html</ref>During the [[El Salvador Civil War|Salvadoran civil war]], death squads achieved notoriety when far-right vigilantes assassinated Archbishop [[Óscar Romero]] for his social activism in March 1980 . In December 1980, three American nuns and a lay worker were raped and murdered by a military unit later found to have been acting on specific orders. Death squads were instrumental in killing hundreds of peasants and activists. Because the death squads involved were found to have been soldiers of the Salvadoran military, which was receiving U.S. funding and training from American advisors during the [[Jimmy Carter|Carter]] administration, these events prompted outrage in the U.S. and led to a temporary cutoff in military aid from the [[Ronald Reagan|Reagan]] administration.
In October 2006, comments made by Jack Straw angered some in the Muslim community. Writing in the ''[[Lancashire Telegraph]]'', the MP said that Muslim women who wear full veils make "better, positive relations" between communities more difficult and that failing to show the mouth and nose was "a visible statement of separation and of difference."<ref>[http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/newsheadlines/display.var.954145.0.straw_in_plea_to_muslim_women_take_off_your_veils.php Straw in plea to Muslim women: Take off your veils], David Bartlett, ''[[Lancashire Telegraph]]'', 5 October 2006; [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5410472.stm Straw asks women for veil rethink], 5 October 2006, BBC News Online</ref>
One of the earliest cases of extradudical killings was in Wiemar [[Germany]] <ref> http://econ161.berkeley.edu/movable_type/2003_archives/001832.html </ref>.
==Blackburn Rovers==
{{main|Blackburn Rovers F.C.}}
===Middle east===
The [[FA Premier League|Premier League]] [[Football (soccer)|Football]] side [[Blackburn Rovers F.C.|Blackburn Rovers]] is based at the [[Ewood Park]] stadium. The club has done much to raise the profile of the town, winning the [[FA Premier League|Premier League]] in 1995 and the [[Football League Cup|League Cup]] in 2002. The club was established in 1875, and in 1888 became a founder member of [[The Football League]]. In 1890 Rovers moved to its permanent home at [[Ewood Park]]. Until the formation of the [[FA Premier League|Premier League]] in 1992, the majority of Blackburn Rovers' success was pre-1930 when they won the league twice and [[FA Cup]] six times.
The [[Israeli intelligence]] and [[Hamas]] [[Militants]] have been in a steady war of attrition with each other, regularly killing local officials since the [[Fatah]] / Hamas [[civil war]] began in early [[2007]]. [[Iraq]] has also suffered badly since the post-invasion insurgency of [[2005]].
In the early 1990s [[Jack Walker]], a local boy and life-long supporter who made millions in the steel industry, invested heavily in the club. He lured former [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]] legend [[Kenny Dalglish]] as manager and a number of shrewd player purchases followed, most notably [[Alan Shearer]]. This lifted the club back into the first division, just before it became the F.A. Premier League — making Blackburn one of only a handful of clubs to be founders of both the Football League and the Premier League. After finishing runners-up to [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] in 1993/1994, Rovers won the championship the following year. A slump followed in the late 1990s, with relegation to [[Football League First Division|League Division One]]. In 2001, the team secured promotion back into the Premier League, and in 2002 won the [[Football League Cup|League Cup]].
==History=Philippines===
{{expand}}
===Prehistory===
There is little evidence of settlement in the [[River Blakewater, Lancashire|Blakewater]] valley where Blackburn would later be situated during the Prehistoric period. It is generally thought that most human activity in east Lancashire during the period occured on hilltops. Evidence of such activity during the [[British Bronze Age|Bronze Age]] has been discovered in the form of [[urn burial]]s, with two known examples from the hills around Blackburn.
Death squads were especially active in this country during the American invasion of the [[1950s]] and the regime in the 1980s; they continue to be active as of 2007.
In [[1879]], a cinerary urn was discovered beneath a [[tumulus]] at Revidge, north of the town. Another was excavated at Pleasington Cemetery, west of the present town, by gravedigger Grant Higson in [[1996]].<ref>[http://archive.burytimes.co.uk/1996/3/27/856314.html Rare Treasure Found], Bury Times, 27 March 1996.</ref>
The [[New People's Army]] ('''NPA''') groups known as "[[Sparrow Units]]" were active in the mid-1980s, killing government officials, police personnel, military members, and anyone else they targeted for elimination. They were also supposedly part of an NPA operation called "[[Agaw Armas]]" ([[Filipino]] for "[[Stealing Weapons]]
That prehistoric man was active in the area now covered by the town centre is inferred from the presence of a possible [[Holy well|sacred spring]], possibly in use during the [[British Iron Age|Iron Age]], at All Hallows Spring on Railway Road<ref>[http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/environment/archaeologyandheritage/historictowns/BlackburnToFig4_LowRes.pdf Lancashire Historic Town Survey: Blackburn, Lancashire County Council (2005), p. 16.</ref>.
"), where they raided government armories as well as stealing weapons from slain military and police personnel. A low level [[civil war]] with south [[Moslems]], [[Al-Qaeda]] sympathizers and [[communist]] insurgents has lead to a general break down of [[law and order]]. The [[Politics_of_the_Philippines#National_Government_of_the_Philippines|Philippines government]] has promised to curb the killings, but is itself implicated in many of the killings. <ref>http://www.pinoyhr.net/</ref>
====Extrajudicial Killings Summit====
===Roman Blackburn===
Blackburn is thought to have originated as a small settlement along the [[Roman road]] between [[Ribchester|Bremetennacum Veteranorum]] and [[Manchester|Mancunium]] which passed through the town to the east of the present [[Cathedral|Blackburn Cathedral]], probably crossing the River Blakewater at Salford<ref>Lancashire County Council (2005), ''Lancashire Historic Town Survey: Blackburn'', p. 16.</ref>.
The 22nd [[PUNO Supreme Court]] is set to hold a [[National Consultative Summit on extrajudicial killings]] on July 16 and 17, [[2007]] at the [[Manila Hotel]]. Invited representatives from the three branches of the government will participate (including the [[AFP]], the [[PNP]], [[CHR]], [[media]], [[academe]], [[civil society]] and [[other stakeholders]]).
The aforementioned All Hallows Spring was purpotedly excavated in 1654<ref>[http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/search/fr.cfm?rcn=NMR_NATINV-43504 Site of All Hallows Spring-Holy well], Archaeology Data Service. Retrieved 31 January 2007.</ref> and was found to contain an inscribed stone, allegedly commemorating the dedication of a temple of [[Serapis]] by Claudius Hieronymus, [[legate]] of [[Legio VI Victrix]]<ref>Lancashire County Council (2005), ''Lancashire Historic Town Survey: Blackburn'', p. 16.</ref>.
[[Puno]] will give the [[keynote speech]] and [[closing remarks]]. [[Puno]] searches for major solutions to solve forced disappearances.
===Medieval Blackburn===
The traditional date for the coming of Christianity to Blackburn is [[596]]<ref>[http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/search/fr.cfm?rcn=NMR_NATINV-43508 Church of St. Mary the Virgin], Archaeology Data Service. Retrieved 31 January 2007.</ref> or [[598|598 AD]]<ref>Lancashire County Council (2005), ''Lancashire Historic Town Survey: Blackburn'', p. 17.</ref> and the town was certainly important during the [[Anglo-Saxon]] era. It was during this period that [[Blackburnshire|Blackburnshire Hundred]] came into existence, probably as a territorial division of the kingdom of [[Northumbria]]<ref>Lancashire County Council (2005), ''Lancashire Historic Town Survey: Blackburn'', p. 17.</ref>.
During the first day of the summit, the speakers will present their respective papers comprising significant inputs from their respective sectors, while on the second day, the participants will break out into 12 groups (chaired by a Justice) and take part in a workshop. Local and international observers (the diplomatic corps and representatives from various international organizations) will be accredited.
The name of the town first appears in the [[Domesday Book]] as ''Blachebourne'', a royal manor during the days of [[Edward the Confessor]] and [[William the Conqueror]]. Archaeological evidence gleaned during the demolition of the medieval parish church on the site of the present Cathedral in 1820 suggests that a church was built during the late eleventh/early twelfth century<ref>Lancashire County Council (2005), ''Lancashire Historic Town Survey: Blackburn'', p. 17.</ref>. A market cross was also erected nearby in [[1101]]<ref>[http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/search/fr.cfm?rcn=NMR_NATINV-43500 Market Cross], Archaeological Data Society. Retrieved 31 January 2007.</ref>
Puno announced that "the summit highlight will be a plenary session where each of the 12 groups shall report to the body their recommended resolutions. The reports and proposals will be synthesized and then transmitted to the concerned government agencies for appropriate action".
The manor came into the possession of Henry de Blackburn, who divided it between his two sons. Later, one half was granted to the monks of [[Stanlow Abbey]]. This [[moiety]] was later granted to the monks of [[Whalley Abbey]].
The earlier slated [[Malacañang]]-sponsored "Mindanao Peace and Security Summit (July 8-10, 2007 at Cagayan de Oro City), focussed on how to make the anti-terror law, or the Human Security Act (HSA) of 2007, more acceptable to the public. <ref>[http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view_article.php?article_id=75094 Inquirer.net, SC slates summit on extrajudicial killings]</ref><ref>[http://www.gmanews.tv/story/49959/SC-slates-summit-on-extrajudicial-killings GMA NEWS.TV, Chief Justice unfazed by Palace meet]</ref>
However, during the twelfth century, the town's conjectured importance declined as [[Clitheroe]] became the regional centre<ref>Lancashire County Council (2005), ''Lancashire Historic Town Survey: Blackburn'', p. 17.</ref>.
On July 16, 2007, Justices, activists, militant leaders, police officials, politicians and prelates attended the Supreme Court's two-day summit at the Manila Hotel in [[Manila City]] to map out ways to put an end to the string of extrajudicial killings in the [[Philippines]]. Bayan was set to launch their "[[silent protest]]", but expressed support for the high court's initiative. Director Geary Barias, chief of the police's anti-killings Task Force Usig, Sen. Panfilo Lacson, [[Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim]], Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Yñiguez, re-elected party-list Representatives Satur Ocampo (Bayan Muna) and Crispin Beltran (Anakpawis) attended. Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno said that the "National Consultative Summit on Extrajudicial Killings and Forced Disappearances: Searching for Solutions," would help stop the murders. Delegates were given 12 to 15 minutes each to share their insights and knowledge about the matter. Yniguez accused the government of failing to actively pursue investigations on the hundreds of killings and the Catholic Church was alarmed that victims have been denied their "fundamental right" to live.
In addition to the settlement in the town centre area, there were several other medieval domiciles located nearby.
Based on Yniguez-church's count, the number of victims of extrajudicial killings has reached 778, while survivors of "political assassinations," was pegged at 370. He also noted 203 "massacre" victims, 186 people who involuntarily disappeared, 502 tortured, and others who were illegally arrested. Yniguez similarly criticized the government's alleged insistence on implementing its Oplan Bantay Laya I and II (the military's counter-insurgency operation plans which militants have said consider legal people's organizations as targets).
===Early Modern Blackburn===
Meanwhile, Bayan urged the Supreme Court to "check serious threats to civil liberties and basic freedoms" including the anti-terror law or the Human Security Act of 2007, which took effect on July 15 despite protests from leftist groups.
===Industrial Blackburn===
The [[Industrial Revolution]] enabled Blackburn to develop its cotton industry from a cottage industry, using hand-powered looms, to a global concern.
Vice President Teofisto Guingona Jr. will join Bayan and other leftist groups as petitioners in their formal pleading before the Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of the law. Human rights lawyer Atty. Edre Olalia of the International Association of People’s Lawyers (IAPL) will serve as lead counsel. Bayan chair Carol Araullo said the respondents will include members of the Anti-Terrorism Council headed by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita and Raul Gonzalez. Earlier, [CBCP president Angel Lagdameo] pointed out at least 5 provisions of the law that may threaten civil liberties: Sec. 19 allows detentions of mere suspects for more than three days in the event of an actual or terrorist attack, while Section 26 allows house arrest despite the posting of bail, and prohibits the right to travel and to communicate with others; Sec. 39 allows seizure of assets while Sec. 7 allows surveillance and wiretapping of suspects; Sec. 26 allows the investigation of bank deposits and other assets. <ref>[http://www.gmanews.tv/story/51197/Justices-activists-prelates-map-out-ways-to-end-killings GMA NEWS.TV, Justices, activists, prelates map out ways to end killings]</ref>
The first large-scale mill was opened in [[1779]] at Wensley Fold, west of the town centre<ref>''The First Cotton Mill'', Blackburn Times, 20 May 1938.</ref>. This was followed in [[1797]] by Spring Hill Mill, a steam powered mill in the town centre.
===BlackburnUnited todayKingdom (UK)===
In [[Northern Ireland]], various [[paramilitary]], [[terrorist]], [[quasi-political]], [[pseudo-religious]], and ''ad hoc'' state institutions killed without lawful excuse during [[The Troubles]].
<ref> http://www.btinternet.com/~chief.gnome/gordon16.htm </ref>
<ref> http://www.hrw.org/reports/1993/WR93/Hsw-09.htm </ref> <ref> http://www.sptimes.com/2007/06/24/Opinion/A_grim_lesson_from_Ul.shtml </ref> <ref> http://naclaoimhtesolais.com/Reject%20The%20PSNI.htm </ref>
In [[England]] ''ad hoc'' [[racist]] and [[criminal]] [[gangs]] are also believed to behind most of the recent [[racist]] and [[Black-on-Black urban killings]]. The British state has apparently paid little attention to either the problems of [[gangland]] or [[racist killing]]s in the UK. <ref> http://customxml.com/rssnews/index.php?blog=3&title=damilola_killer_loses_attempt_to_quash_c&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 </ref> <ref> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2773771.stm </ref>
==Meaning of place-name==
<ref> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1792334.stm </ref>
Blackburn means 'dark-coloured [[burn]] ('stream') from Old English ''blæc'' "black" and ''stream'' "stream", recorded as ''Blacheburne'' in 1128.
<ref> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4791094.stm </ref>
[[Image:MakingShuttlesBlackburn.jpg|thumb|right|210px|Workers producing [[shuttle (weaving)|shuttle]]s for the textile industry, circa 1920. Rowland Baguley and Company, based on Addison Street, produced a wide range of shuttles for the home textile industry and for export before it closed in the early 1930s.]]
<ref> http://kcl.ac.uk/phpnews/wmview.php?ArtID=982 </ref>
== Human rights groups==
In 1887, ''John Bartholomew's Gazetteer of the British Isles'' described Blackburn like this:
Many [[human rights]] organisations like [[Amnesty International]] along with the [[UN]] are campaigning against extrajudicial punishment . <ref>
:"Blackburn. parl. and mun. bor., par. and township, NE. Lancashire, 9 miles E. of [[Preston]] and 210 miles NW. of [[London]] by rail -- par., 48,281 ac., pop. 161,617; township, 3681 ac., pop. 91,958; bor., 6974 ac., pop. 104,014; 4 Banks, 2 newspapers. Market-days, Wednesday and Saturday. It is one of the chief seats of [[cotton]] manufacture, besides producing [[Calico (fabric)|calico]], [[muslin]], &c., there being over 140 mills at work. There are also factories for making cotton machinery and [[steam engine|steam-engines]]. B. has been associated with many improvements in the mfr. of cotton, among which was the invention (1767) of the "[[spinning jenny]]" which was invented in nearby [[Oswaldtwistle]] by [[James Hargreaves]], who died in 1770. There are several fine churches and public buildings. A [[Corporation Park, Blackburn|Corporation Park]] (50 [[acre|ac.]] in area) is on the outskirts of the town. Several lines of railway converge here, and pass through one principal station belonging to the Lancashire and Yorkshire Ry. Co. B. returns 2 members to Parliament." [http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/Travellers/place_page.jsp?p_id=955]
http://www.extrajudicialexecutions.org/ </ref>
<ref> http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=22046&Cr=rights&Cr1=council </ref>
<ref>http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGAMR290151996?open&of=ENG-SLV</ref>
<ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6814001/site/newsweek/</ref>
<ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6802629/site/newsweek/</ref>
==In popular culture==
[[Image:StrikingMillWorkersBlackburn.jpg|thumb|right|210px|[[Industrial action|Strike]] of [[cotton mill]] workers in 1920 in Cowell Street in the Nab Lane area.]]
The subject of extrajudicial punishment was examined in the stage play and subsequent film '' [[A Few Good Men]] ''. In this film, two marines are put on trial for the death of another marine due to their administering of a ''[[Code Red]]'' (a [[military colloquial speech]] term for [[extrajudicial punishment]]) on him. The [[film]] sees the [[U.S. Marines]] acquitted of the crime, as it is shown that they were [[acting under orders from their superiors]], and therefore [[could not be held responsible for the consequences]].
== Features ==
[[Image:Blackburn_cathedral.jpg|thumb|right|210px|[[Blackburn Cathedral]] sits in the middle of the town centre]]
== See also ==
*[[Blackburn Arena]], home of the [[Blackburn Hawks]] [[ice hockey]] team.
* [[Assassination]]
*[[Blackburn Cathedral]]
* [[Death squad]]
*[[Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery]]
* [[Extraordinary rendition]]
*[[Blackburn Railway Station]] features a 24 ft mural by [[Stephen Charnock]], which depicts eight famous faces associated with the town, including [[Mahatma Gandhi]], who visited nearby [[Darwen]] in 1931.
* [[Lynching]]
*[[Corporation Park, Blackburn|Corporation Park]]
* [[Outlaw]]
*[[Ewood Park]] football stadium.
* [[Lewis TextileHuman Museumrights]]
* [[Summary execution]]
*[[Radio Lancashire]] has its studios on Darwen Street in the town centre.
* [[Posse]]
*The [[River Blakewater]], which gives its names to the town, merges with the [[River Darwen]] before joining the [[River Ribble]].
* [[Prison rape]]
*[http://www.tauheedulislam.com/index.asp Masjid E Tauheedul Islam], the [[mosque|Central Mosque]] of Blackburn is currently being re-built and is expected to be ready in late 2007.
* [[Selective assassination]]
*[[Thwaites|Thwaites brewery]] has produced [[cask ale]] in Blackburn for nearly 200 years.
* [[Summary execution]]
*A section of the [[Leeds and Liverpool Canal]] runs through the town.
* [[Thwaites EmpireSummary Theatrejustice]]
* [[Terrorism]]
*[[Witton Country Park, Blackburn|Witton Country Park]]
* [[Vigilante]]
== Education ==
=== Primary Schools ===
*Feniscowles Junior School
*Meadowhead Junior School
*St. Aidan's C of E Primary School
*St. Francis' (Livesey) C of E Primary School
*St. Paul's (Feniscowles) RC Primary School
*St. Peter's C of E Primary School
*[http://www.salesburyschool.net/ Salesbury CE Primary School]
==External links==
=== Secondary Schools ===
===Monitoring organizations===
*Al-Islah Schools (independent)
*[[Amnesty International]]
*Beardwood High School was formerly known as Billinge High School, changing its name to Beardwood in the late 80's.
*[http://www.ansarburney.org/ Ansar Burney Trust] (Pakistan and the Middle East)
*Blakewater College, formerly Queen's Park Technology College
*[[Human Rights Watch]]
*Jamiatul-Ilm Wal-Huda UK School (independent)
*[[Our Lady & St John Catholic Arts College]]
*Pleckgate High School
*[[Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Blackburn|Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School (QEGS)]] (independent, with 6th form)
*St Bede's Roman Catholic High School
*St Wilfrid's CofE High School and Technology College (with 6th form)
*Tauheedul-Islam Girls' High School (independent)
*[[Westholme school]] (independent, with 6th form)
*Windsmoor House School (independent)
*[http://www.wittonpark.blackburn.sch.uk/ Witton Park Business and Enterprise College]
=== Colleges =References==
<references/>
*[http://www.blackburn.ac.uk/ Blackburn College]
*[[St. Mary's College, Blackburn]]
*[http://www.stwilfs.lancs.sch.uk/!cont_sixth_form.htm Saint Wilfrid's VI Form College]
[[Category:Capital punishment]]
=== University ===
[[Category:Criminal law]]
*East Lancashire Institute of Higher Education
[[Category:Human rights abuses]]
{{Category:Extrajudicial killings}}
== Coat of Arms ==
[[image:arms-blackburn.jpg|thumb|right|210px|Arms of the former Blackburn Borough Council]]
The Blackburn [[coat of arms]] has many distinctive emblems. The arms displays Argent a Fesse wavy Sable between three Bees volant proper on a Chief Vert a Bugle stringed Argent between two Fusils Or. On the [[Crest (heraldry)|crest]], a Wreath of the Colours a Shuttle Or thereon a Dove wings elevated Argent and holding in the beak the Thread of the Shuttle reflexed over the back and an Olive Branch proper. The [[latin]] [[motto]] of the town is 'Arte et Labore', correctly translated as 'by art and by labour' but often translated as 'by skill and hardwork'. The motto, granted on 14 February 1852 to the former Borough of Blackburn, is poignant as Blackburn, once a small town, had risen to importance through the energy and enterprise of her spinners and manufacturers, combined with the skill and labour of her operatives. The Borough of Blackburn was formed by the amalgamation of the County Borough of Blackburn, the Borough of Darwen, part of the Turton Urban District and the parishes of Yate and Pickup Bank, Eccleshill, Livesey, Pleasington and Tockholes from the Blackburn Rural District. Other notable features include:
*Three [[bee]]s in flight. The bee is an emblem of skill, perseverance and industry. "B" also stands for Blackburn; and further, as the Peel family sprang from this neighbourhood and bears a bee in flight on its shield, the idea naturally suggests itself that [[Robert Peel|Sir Robert Peel]] had adopted the Blackburn bee.
*The shield is silver or white, and thus emblematical of [[Calico (fabric)|calico]], the product of the Blackburn bees during the [[industrial revolution]].
*The broad wavy black line represents the Black Brook (the [[River Blakewater]]) on the banks of which the town is built.
*The silver [[bugle (instrument)|bugle horn]] was the crest of the first Mayor of Blackburn, [[William Henry Hornby]]. It is also an emblem of strength.
*The gold lozenges, or fusils (diamond shaped), are the heraldic emblems of spinning, derived from the Latin "fusus" or "fusilium", meaning a spindle, and they refer to the invention of the [[spinning jenny]] in 1764 by [[James Hargreaves]], a native of the district. They also denote the connection of [[Joseph Feilden]] with Blackburn, as [[Lord of the Manor]], as he bore lozenges on his shield.
*The background of green is there to remind us of the time when Blackburn was one of the [[royal forest]]s in the time of [[Edward the Confessor]].
*The [[shuttle (weaving)|shuttle]] is the emblem of [[weaving]], the trade which has contributed more than any other to the prosperity of the town.
*The [[dove]] taking wing with an olive branch in her beak (the emblem of peace) attached to the thread of the shuttle, represents the beneficial results emanating from the art of weaving.
== Commerce ==
The Mall is the main [[shopping centre]] in Blackburn with over 130 shops and 400 further outlets close by <ref>[http://www.blackburn.gov.uk/server.php?show=ConWebDoc.6442&viewPage=3 Tourism in Blackburn with Darwen: Shopping], Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, 8 November 2005, retrieved 2 May 2006.</ref>. [[Blackburn Market]] is a [[market]] close to the Mall. A [[retail park]] with recent developments is near the town centre.
{{sectstub}}
== People from Blackburn ==
The following people were born or brought up in Blackburn:
===The arts===
* [[Sagar Mitchell]] and [[James Kenyon]], pioneer cinematographers in the 1900s, were born here. Much of their film output still survives, see [[Mitchell and Kenyon]].
* Fashion designer [[Wayne Hemingway]] spent most of his childhood in Blackburn, moving there after being born in [[Morecambe]] in 1961. He attended Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Blackburn. <ref>"[http://www.qegs.blackburn.sch.uk/news/show_news_item.asp?id=212 Wayne Hemingway opens new gallery of past pupils]", Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, 15 November 2004. Retrieved 14 May 2006.</ref>
* Film maker [[Michael Winterbottom]] was born in Blackburn, and also attended QEGS. <ref>"[http://archive.thisislancashire.co.uk/2001/8/27/660923.html Essential facts on Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Blackburn]", This Is Lancashire, 27 August 2001. Retrieved 14 May 2006.</ref>
* Actor [[Ian McShane]] was born in Blackburn on [[29 September]] [[1942]] [http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/faces/ian_mcshane.shtml].
* [[Kathleen Harrison]], one of the greatest British film character actresses of the Forties and Fifties, was born in Blackburn on [[23 February]] [[1892]]. <ref>"[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0365692/bio Biography for Kathleen Harrison]", The Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 14 May 2006.</ref>
*[[Jason Kay]] of Jamiroquai, after being born in Manchester on December 30, 1969; moved to Blackburn before his singing career took off.
* Actor [[Jon Walmsley]] was born in Blackburn on [[6 February]] [[1956]]. {{fact}}
* Musician, singer and composer [[Tony Ashton]] was born in Blackburn on [[1 March]] [[1946]]. {{fact}}
*Writer [[Josephine Cox]] was born in Blackburn, setting many of her novels in [[Lancashire]]. {{fact}}
*Actor [[Steve Pemberton]] was born in Blackburn in 1967. <ref>"[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0671487/ Steve Pemberton]", The Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 6 September 2006.</ref>
*[[Alfred Gregory]], official photographer for the 1953 ascent of [[Mount Everest]] by [[Sir Edmund Hillary]] and [[Tenzing Norgay]], was born in Blackburn.{{fact}}
*Broadcaster [[Russell Harty]] was born in the town on [[5 September]] [[1934]].{{fact}}
*[[Wilfred Greatorex]], writer and television [[script editor]], was born in Blackburn on [[27 May]] [[1922]].{{fact}}
*[[Kathleen Ferrier]], Opera Diva and gay icon, born Blackburn 1912, died London 1953
*Actor [[Michael Billington (actor)|Michael Billington]], star of [[UFO (TV series)|UFO]], was born in Blackburn
*Music composer [[Barry Gray]] famous for the [[Thunderbirds (TV series)|Thunderbirds]] march was born in Blackburn.[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0336460/bio]
*[[Alfred Wainwright]], author of the ''[[Pictorial Guides to the Lakeland Fells]]'', was born in the town. There is a [[commemorative plaque|plaque]] commemorating this fact at his former house on Audley Range.
*[[Sarah_Martin_(musician)|Sarah Martin]], violinist, singer, and songwriter for the independant Scottish band [[Belle & Sebastian]], was born in Blackburn.
*[[Jamie Turner]], guitarist, pianist and songwriter in rock band Free Haven, was born in Blackburn.
=== Sports ===
*Four times [[Superbike racing|World Superbike Championship]] winner [[Carl Fogarty]] was born in Blackburn on [[1 July]] [[1966]]. <ref>"[http://www.bbc.co.uk/lancashire/sport/superbikes/foggy.shtml Carl Fogarty...On the Spot]", BBC. Retrieved 14 May 2006.</ref>
*[[Bill Fox]], chairman of Blackburn Rovers and president of the [[Football League]] until his death in 1991, was born in Blackburn on [[6 January]] [[1928]].{{fact}}
*Blackburn Rovers captain [[Ronnie Clayton (footballer)|Ronnie Clayton]] was capped 35 times as an England international.<ref>[http://www.englandfc.com/Profiles/php/PlayerProfileByName.php?id=232 Ronnie Clayton's international record from England FC]. Retrieved 6 September 2006.</ref>
*Rock climber [[John Sumner]] was born in Blackburn on [[13 March]] [[1936]]. Sumner was the pre-eminent exploratory climber in his chosen ___domain of mid-[[Wales]], climbing cutting-edge routes on the remote crags and cliff-faces south of [[Snowdonia]] starting in the mid-1950s.<ref>[http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20040313/ai_n12770302 John Sumner obituary], Colin Wells, ''[[The Independent]]'', 13 March 2004</ref>
*England [[Rugby union]] player [[Will Greenwood]] was born in Blackburn on [[20 October]] [[1972]].{{fact}}
*The 1985 World Professional [[Snooker]] Champion [[Dennis Taylor]] moved to Blackburn from [[Northern Ireland]] in 1966 at the age of 17. <ref>[http://www.northernshow.biz/Dennis_Taylor.htm Dennis Taylor], NorthernShowBiz. Retrieved 14 May 2006.</ref>
*[[Keith Duckworth]], motor racing engine designer. He designed the [[Cosworth DFV]], which revolutionised [[Formula One]] in the 1960s. (1933-2005){{fact}}
=== Business ===
* The industrialist [[Jack Walker]] was born in the town on [[19 May]] [[1929]]. The [[steel]] [[business magnate|magnate]] ploughed his fortune into his beloved [[Blackburn Rovers F.C.|Blackburn Rovers]], leading to their [[FA Premier League|Premier League]] title success in 1995.
=== Science ===
*Mathematician David Fowler was a leading authority on the history of mathematics in [[ancient Greece]]. Born in Blackburn on [[28 April]] [[1937]], Fowler studied at the [[Russell School]], near [[Morecambe Bay]] and [[Gonville and Caius College]], [[University of Cambridge|Cambridge]].<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/obituaries/story/0,3604,1208242,00.html Obituary for Dr. David Fowler], the Guardian. Retrieved 6 September 2006.</ref>
*[[Arthur Maitland]] was a pioneering figure in [[laser]] [[physics]] research. At the [[University of St Andrews]], he very quickly established a group working on [[gas laser]]s, recognising that the gas-discharge laser had enormous potential for practical use. He was born in Blackburn on [[7 December]] [[1928]].{{fact}}
=== Politics ===
* [[John Morley, 1st Viscount Morley of Blackburn]], [[Order of Merit|OM]], [[Privy Council|PC]] (1838 - 1923), Liberal statesman, writer and newspaper editor.
* Former Foreign Secretary and Leader of the Commons [[Jack Straw (politician)|Jack Straw]] is MP for Blackburn.
==References==
<div class="references-small">
<references />
</div>
== Books about Blackburn ==
* {{cite book|author=W. A. Abram|title=A History of Blackburn Town & Parish|year=1877|id=ISBN 0-948494-10-7|}}
* {{cite book|author=David Allin|title=Blackburn Since 1900|id=ISBN 0-948946-18-0|}}
* {{cite book|author=M. Baggoley|title=Blackburn in Old Photographs|publisher=Sutton Publishing|year=1996|id=ISBN 0-7509-1262-6|}}
* {{cite book|author=Derek Beattie|title=Blackburn: The Development of a Lancashire Cotton Town|publisher=Keele University Press|year=1992|id=ISBN 1-85331-021-2|}}
* {{cite book|author=Matthew Cole|title=Blackburn's Shops at the Turn of the Century|id=ISBN 1-872895-28-X|}}
* {{cite book|author=Jim Halsall|title=Blackburn in Times Gone By|id=ISBN 1-872895-39-5|}}
* {{cite book|author=Geo. C. Miller|title=Blackburn: the Evolution of a Cotton Town|id=ISBN 0-948494-18-2|}}
* {{cite book|author=Jeremy Seabrook|title=City Close-up: Blackburn|publisher=[[Penguin Books]]|year=1973|id=ISBN 0-14-003721-7|}}
* {{cite book|author=William Woodruff|title=Billy Boy: The Story of a Lancashire Weaver's Son|publisher=Edinburgh University Press|year=1993|id=ISBN 1-85331-047-6|}}
* {{cite book|author=William Woodruff|title=The Road to Nab End: A Lancashire Childhood|publisher=Abacus|year= 2002|id=ISBN 0-349-11521-4|}}
== External links ==
* [http://www.blackburn.gov.uk/ Blackburn with Darwen council site]
* [http://www.blackburnworld.com/ Blackburn with Darwen council community portal]
* [http://www.blackburnbusiness.net/ Blackburn with Darwen council business portal]
* [http://www.bwdcommunities.com/ Blackburn with Darwen council free community websites project]
*[http://www.towpathtreks.co.uk/blackburn.html Photographs of the Leeds Liverpool canal in Blackburn ] www.towpathtreks.co.uk
* [http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/ Lancashire Telegraph] The daily newspaper based in Blackburn.
* [http://www.blackburncitizen.co.uk/ Blackburn Citizen] The local weekly newspaper.
* [http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/authority.asp?CategoryID=ENGLISH%5E576%5ELOCAL-VIEW%5EAUTHORITIES%5ELG-LV-BLAWDBC Audit Commission Blackburn with Darwen page], government reports
* [http://www.cottontown.org Cotton Town], a website telling the story of the rapid social and economic changes that occurred as Blackburn and Darwen began to expand in line with the United Kingdom textile industry.
* [http://homepage.ntlworld.com/angela.ashton3/ Images Of Blackburn] A photographic look at Blackburn, Lancashire.
* [http://www.blackburn247.com/ Blackburn 247] A discussion forum for Blackburn people.
* [http://www.photoboxgallery.com/MBImages In and around Blackburn] Various photographs from around Blackburn.
*[[Jeremy Seabrook]], "[http://www.guardian.co.uk/northsouth/article/0,2763,866540,00.html No one asked Blackburn's people what they wanted]", ''[[The Guardian]]'', [[30 December]] [[2002]] (Argues that the far right is feeding on the dislocation of the industrial north )
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