Blacklivesmatters UK demand justice and equality

In an unprecedented move activists representing the movement Blacklivesmatters here in the UK undertook a day of civil action across the country, in particular causing chaos around the roads leading to Heathrow airport.

This co-ordinated action comes on the 5th anniversary of both the death of Mark Duggan, and the nationwide riots that were sparked as a consequence.

One of the organisers Natasha Nkonde, a UKBLM activist, said: “[Duggan] represents another death in police custody with no consequences. Black people are over-represented in these cases. In the past year we’ve had Mzee Mohammed, Sarah Reed, Jermaine Baker – we are in a crisis about the brutality being inflicted on black people. Sarah Reed had mental health issues and was beaten up by the police and found dead.

“We’re upset about the 3,0000 deaths in the Mediterranean this year and of course post-Brexit we know there’s been a 57% increase in hate crimes. We are seeing people talking about how they are being attacked, abused in the streets.

The group are demanding that these protests are about demanding a conversation with Government and the wider establishment in regards to tackling institutional racism across the board.

Operation Black Vote supports the efforts of these young activists, not only demanding respect and action from the Government, but also staking their claim to be the new leaders of race equality activism.

Tomorrow-August 6th, another generation of Black activists will be in the streets of Tottenham remembering those who died at the hands of the police in the borough, including Cynthia Jarret, Joy Gardner, Roger Sylvester, Mark Duggan and Jermaine Baker.

In reality these two generations of Black activism are indelibly linked and have proven through projects such as Blaksox, that they can work well together.

We wish them great strength and wisdom in there endeavours to afford Black Britain justice and equality in the UK.

Simon Woolley