RebeccaBLM: Where We Stand
Like many others, we have been at a loss for words over the devastating murder of George Floyd by a person of authority, put in their position to defend and protect and yet let their ignorance and prejudice take away a man's life in such a brutal and disgusting way. George Floyd isn't the first, but we will do what we can to help ensure that he is the last. We want to give voices to the unheard and help anyone who has ever felt discriminated against for the colour of their skin feel empowered and equal. We don't understand and we probably never will, but we stand with you.
Staying silent isn't an option, STAND UP AND SPEAK UP.
Ways that you can help:
Black Lives Matter UK is the official UK part of the global Black Lives Matter movement.Their mission is to “eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes”.
Donate here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/ukblm-fund
Black Minds Matter UK is a non-profit organisation that aims to empower communities to take charge of the change and improvement they want to see.
Donate here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/black-minds-matter-uk
George Floyd Memorial Fund: Philonise Floyd, George Floyd’s brother, has set up a Go Fund me page to raise money for Floyd’s funeral and burial expenses.
Donate here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd
Stand Up To Racism is an anti-racism campaign group who asked Brits to #TakeTheKnee on their doorsteps on Wednesday, June 3 at 6pm. The idea is to show your solidarity with George Floyd and the BLM movement.
Donate to their campaign here: https://www.standuptoracism.org.uk/join-donate/
The Southall Black Sisters is a not-for-profit human rights group in the UK.
Donate here: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/donation-web/charity?charityId=1012780&stop_mobi=yes
There are also protests scheduled to occur on:
Saturday 6th June
London - Parliament Sqaure, 1pm
Manchester - Piccadilly Gardens, 1pm
Newcastle Upon Tyne - ONLINE, 1pm
Leicester - Clock Tower, 1pm
Sheffield - Devonshire Green, 1pm
Ipswich - Town Hall, 2pm
Sunday 7th June
London - US Embassy, 2pm
Nottingham - Forest Recreation Ground (changed from Old Market Square), 12pm (organised independently of Black Lives Matter UK - Nottingham Activists)
Manchester - St. Peter’s Square, 2pm
Edinburgh - Princes Street Gardens, 1pm
Glasgow - George Square, 2pm
Bristol - College Green, 2pm
Norwich - Haymarket, 2pm
Coventry - Godiva, 1pm
Derby - Derby Council House, 2pm
Colchester - Castle Park, 1pm
Monday 8th June
Dublin - The Spire, 1pm
Wednesday 10th June
Hull - Queens Gardens, 1pm
Saturday 13th June
Reading - Town Hall, 12pm
Kings Lynn - Town Hall, 2pm
To find events in your local area, try searching “BLM [AREA]” or “Black Lives Matter [AREA]” on Twitter.
When taking part in these protests, organisers are circulating information and advice as follows:
Remain peaceful
Bring protective masks and gloves, and if possible wet-wipes or anti-bacterial gel
Observe two-metre social distancing guidelines
Pack food and water
Bring identification and emergency contact information
Wear comfortable shoes
Take sun-protection
In case of arrest, carry essential medicines (e.g. inhalers) on your person
Women on periods are advised to wear pads instead of tampons in case toilet access is restricted by events or arrest
FACT CHECK TIME
In the US, police killed 1,098 people in 2019.
Black people were 24% of those killed despite being only 13% of the population.
There were only 27 days where the police did not kill someone.
In the US, black people are 3x more likely to be killed by police than white people despite being 1.3x more likely to be unarmed compared to white people.
The following names are of black people who fell victim to and died at the hands of a police officer over the 2 year period of 2014 and 2015 alone. The vast majority of these killers continued on with their lives and did not face the justice they deserve.
Let's get these victim