A peaceful protest in solidarity of Black Lives Matter following the killing of American George Floyd in Minneapolis will be held in Thanet on Sunday (June 7).
Derek Chauvin, a white officer, pressed his knee into Mr Floyd’s neck for almost nine minutes while he was handcuffed face down on the ground.
Black Lives Matter protests have been held across the globe in the wake of Mr Floyd’s death.
Organised by People Dem Collective, participants to the ‘Margate to Minneapolis’ march are invited to meet at 11.30am at the Viking Ship play park in Ethelbert Terrace, Cliftonville. At noon protesters will walk along the coastline to the Margate steps, opposite The Parade, and kneel for 8 minutes and 46 seconds.
Those taking part are asked to wear protective masks.
Another protest is being held on Saturday, June 13 at noon with a march from Ramsgate town centre to Margate seafront. This will again be followed by kneeling for 8 minutes and 46 seconds.
Participants are asked to wear protective masks, follow social distancing and bring food and water. They are also asked to wear black with one colourful item.
An event page for the march says: “When we arrive in Margate we will kneel for exactly 8 minutes 46 seconds in silence. (This is inhumane amount of time Derek Chauvin had his knee on George Floyd’s neck) This will be to show our respect for George, that lost his life to the racist mistreatment and brutality that the police and justice system delivered.
“Forget about all the labels that they’ve given us, forget race, ethnicity, nationality this a HUMAN BEING PROBLEM and it’s WORLDWIDE.
“So let’s stand together as one and show the world that they cannot divide us!”
Organisers request:
- Make sure you wear PPE (face masks and bring hand sanitizer etc)
- If you have any symptoms of covid please stay at home
- No alcohol/drugs policy
- Respect social distancing guidelines (if turning up with friends or family make sure it’s a maximum of 6, as organisers to try walk in groups of six)
- Remain calm, collected, respectful of others, this is a peaceful march
Concerns have been raised over an organised gathering during the need for social distancing due to the covid pandemic.
Protesters say they will social distance but for those who have concerns these areas of Ramsgate and Margate may be busy during the protest times.
Current covid restrictions allow individuals to meet in groups of up to six but all must social distance and meetings must be outside where the risk of transmission is lessened.
Solidarity
It’s alright asking people to wear masks and social distance but you only have to see the protestors marching in London today to see that there was no social distancing whatsoever.
Thanet already has the second highest rates of infection of Covid-19 in Kent and cases are still rising in East Kent. This protest only risks adding further cases to an area that is struggling to beat the outbreak.
What happened to George Floyd was a travesty and the officer involved is justifiably going to spend a great many years in prison but although these planned protests are being organised with good intentions they also have the possibility to actuality cause more virus related deaths in this area.
If you don’t feel comfortable protesting here are some things you can do.
https://gal-dem.com/what-to-do-if-you-cant-protest-on-the-streets-for-black-lives-matter/
Shut up you racist have respect and dignity stop making excuses your not willing to anything about it so shut up n sit back and watch us change the worlds views on equality
CONCERNED is not an idiot, or a racist.
Social distancing and racism, are two different things.
He was simply pointing out that during the march against racism, there was very little social distancing involved.
The majority of people worldwide, support the anti-racism protests, as long as they are peaceful. But commenting on someone not distancing does not make them racist.
I wish you well with any marches, and hopefully it will succeed in some way, and make the world a better place, no matter what colour or religion anyone is.
Best wishes
Phil.
Peoples always got something to say when there voice is not needed black people and mix and others have suffered long enough and people at the top that can actually do something about it need to hear, sorry a email or a phone call won’t work it’s not are fault so we need to protest we need to make noise, people that complain just sound like there upset we’re awaken and that your times up my friend it’s time to hand over equality to us all.
Yet another statement, where you just don’t make any sense.
Try using a little punctuation, it may just make a little more sense, although not much.
Actually you could try getting an education, then you could learn the difference between racism, and social distancing.
All people are interested in the cause against racism, but unfortunately it doesn’t appear to be about getting equal rights any more, it’s just an excuse to cause some trouble, and people are not getting sick of hearing about the idiots causing trouble, who pretend to to be BLM campaign.
WHY DO WE HAVE TO HAVE OTHER COUNTRYS PROBLEMS BOUGHT TO THIS COUNTRY THE NEXT THING WILL BE LOOTING AND INNOCENT PEOPLE HURT JUST HAS IN CROYDON LET JUSTICE TAKE ITS COURSE
Grow up. It isn’t just another country’s problem. That mentality is part of the problem.
You know police violence has affected British black people right?
Did justice take its course in the cases of Sean Rigg, Christopher Alder, Jean Charles de Menezes, Sheku Bayoh, Sarah Reed, Mark Duggan, Joy Gardner, Cherry Groce, Julian Cole, Jimmy Mubenga?
30 years for justice for Hillsborough only because of a 30 year fight by campaigners. No justice for Grenfell.
When the system is the cause justice rarely occurs. Doubly so if your skin colour isn’t white.
These protest happen because justice has not happened.
Yes Matthew Smyth, you are correct in your statement, very poor justice system involving all those mentioned.
Also not forgetting Stephen Lawrence, and the years of fighting to overcome the racism, incompetence, and corruption, to get any sort of justice, against the offenders.
Mark Duggan? A career criminal carrying a gun,in a vehicle with other criminals on his way to commit a criminal act. The only miscarriage of justice is the officer who stopped him was put on trial & yobbos were allowed to hold the country in a state of fear.
You believe all that?
They took you for a sucker and guess what, they were right. That case has so many holes in it, it’s as if they shot it with an uzi.
The only one shooting Uzi’s was Duggan.
When a person writes in capital letters, along with no punctuation, it sure is difficult to read.
It may well be a problem we have heard about in the USA right now (it’s not the 1st time) but racism is rife over here to & unfortunately our own countries Police forces have also been held to account for exactly the same thing. I do not approve of the protests as most of them end in in violence of some kind but something must be done to stop blatant racism.
Racism exists in all forms & isn’t just white on black, it even exists among black people around the world who belong to different religions or tribes-so black on black. More white people are shot by police in the US every year than blacks-but they don’t make the news because it doesn’t fit the narrative & you can bet there a lot of black cops shooting white citizens in those stats, as there are black officers shooting black citizens-but again, neither of those fit the narrative.
Please, the Met had to set up a special unit called Trident to deal with black on black murders in 1998 & is still running today. How many black people in the US are murdered by other black people every year?
Steve, Most homicides are intraracial in America with 93% of African American victims killed by African Americans and 84% of White victims killed by Whites. Info from Wikipedia.
Yep, historically people tend to kill in their own ethnic groups. Not a very popular position to hold though, especially in the current climate.
I wonder if the old lady George severed 5yr for robbing at knifepoint has same feelings
Now we are finding he had quite a lengthy rap sheet, was doing porn films & the officer that killed him worked at the same club where they both did security, him inside & the cop outside. Wonder how many innocent people have died & had their homes/businesses destroyed in this insanity? All for a case where the cops were fired & the perpetrator was charged with murder?
Corrupt police is the issue not racism
No, the problem is racism.
The police can still be corrupt towards white people but this is about racism.
If it’s racism why did they push the elderly white gentleman who was standing up for George. It should be All Lives matter. It was the brutality of the police not racism
No, racism is the problem.
Police can be corrupt and racist. Call it multitasking.
Really. What evidence do you have for such a statement. You do spout some rubbish without thinking
I thought protests were banned
Many dumb people live here
Hope you get arrested
Rebecca sometimes you do say a lot of rubbish. You hope that they all get Arrested for peacefully protesting it is allowed under our law and also said today that they should follow distancing guidelines set out by the government by the police in Sussex for the Brighton march.
Why?
Racism is rampant all round the globe. Daily, many many people are murdered because of their colour, race, religion or whatever.
None of these terrible events is mentioned in the national, let alone the local press.
Why should this one particular case be worthy of comment, when literally millions go un remarked?
You write as though you believe all white policeman are racist and corrupt which is simply untrue. The vast majority of police are good people doing an impossible job.
A lot of the protesters in America have gone too far, rioting, looting and shootings are major crimes and anyone involved needs to be bought to justice as a matter of haste.
George Floyds family will get their justice administered by the courts and not by the violent mob rule that is now taking over the previously peaceful protests.
Unfortunately too many left wing anarchists and criminals have jumped on the bandwagon and are now using the cover of peaceful protests to commit violent offences and crimes. The violent mob that have taken over the protests will only act to polarise society further.
The riots lead to the charges against the murderer being upgraded from 3rd to second degree murder.
Something’s got to be done but yet do nothing is a terrible meme. 0/10
Yes Tony, the riots are also now accountable for at least 5 other deaths, If that’s what you call a successful outcome then you are seriously delusional and have a warped sense of justice. I wonder if any one will protest the deaths caused by the protesters???
Tony, there are now at least a dozen deaths in America due to the riots with most victims being black Americans. So much for your success story.
I totally agree with your comments.
Do we get the violence, riots & looting as well?
Why the outrage at events so far away but no interest what so ever , when it comes the death of. Emily Jones Bolton?
Serious question
Doesn’t fit the BLM narrative.Neither do all the white people that have been shot dead by police. Or that in the US every year more white people are shot than black people by their police, although this is somewhat evened out by the Missing White Woman Syndrome. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missing_white_woman_syndrome
Local chap hi Emily Jones from Bolton her death is as if not more tragic as she being a child and playing on her scooter. There is a person awaiting trial for her murder and she was originally from Albania. I won’t say more than this completely different crime. One is a police officer from America who went to far and the other the is or was held on mental health issues before being charged the trial is September I think. The reason this has really stood out and more people are annoyed about it is 8 minutes 46 seconds he had his neck squashed down and 3 other officers did not try to stop him from taking his life even when a firefighter said check his pulse not one movement by the police. Peaceful protesters is fine and just way to get the feeling of how people feel not all the looting that has gone on the only ones that hurts are the people who are now unable to shop as they have been raised to the ground. The protest in Brighton tonight went off peacefully and one arrested for affray.
I realise they are different crimes, but a young child killed whilst playing in a park attracted no uk tv coverage, or outrage. If the value of a persons death is defined by the outrage that can be whipped up by pressure groups and opportunistic looters the world is a very odd place.
In the news today we have more about Madeleine McCann, why is her story so much more worthy? Sedated and left alone by her own parents who are seen as saints. The bias and disparity that drives this reporting is as divisive as the issues they pursue.
I find Britain to be more tolerant with Foreigners than most Countries, whatever colour or creed. As long as they behave themselves, we can all live in harmony.
Of course, you also have a lot Foreign Criminals too, but they serve the same Sentences that we do.
I think the slogan should be ‘All Lives Matter’ so it is kept neutral, because as soon as you mention colour it brings out the racists of one or other colour. Then it turns into a free-for-all looting and arson which just proves they are no better than what those bad police officers think.
Nobody deserves to be treated the way the petty criminal George Floyd was that day, but black, white, yellow or brown people are killed by bad cops and it is wrong for all. This is now down to the authorities to weed out bad officers.
ALM does it for me, Mr Resident.
Black lives matter, all lives matter. Racism will always be with us in some form. Blacks are racist to whites and whites are to blacks. It’s human nature that people find fault in others regardless of colour creed or religion. Some police officers are a disgrace and bullies but I think most of them are not. My sister who lives in London does not go out past 6 pm because of the black gangs often chasing other black gangs, years ago it used to be Teddy boys chasing after other gangs. I the street my sister lives the residents pay a security firm to patrol the street. We don’t hear anything about that in the media.
I’ve worked in the carribean there my skin colour and accent were an open invitation to be overcharged /ignored and yet the locals complained that tourism wasn’t what it was. If people want to experience racism try going to Guinea (west africa) during an election, the various ethnic groups are ruthless in their quest for power. The way the ruling group treated any other was unbelievable.
The reason we have it is because the issues are pretty much the same here. The issues about bad and biased racist policing have been highlighted in the UK since the Brixton riots of the early 80s however sadly nothing has ever really changed in the last 40 years. Things needs to change and not be ignored yet again
I can honestly say that i never seem to see the colour or creed of someone I only see the person. We are all humans beings. We are all different in our own way.
Solidarity. This hs been going on for decades now and none of the half measures put in place have stopped the constant stream of deaths of black people at the hands of police. It’s particularly bad in the US, but it happens here too, far too often. There are protests all across the gobe about this. The protesting is about the deaths and the response, which on this occasion has been really ugly and criminal. And for anyone saying “All lives Matter’, then perhps you haven’t realised that ‘All Lives Matter’ is a slogan that has come to be associated with criticism of the Black Lives Matter movement. So when you say it, you are undermining those trying to show solidarity with the victims of police brutality and police murder. When injustice is at this level of severity, every single one of us should be taking action of some kind to show support.
Of course ALM is a criticism, but not of the cause but the underlying racism it embodies itself by ignoring all the deaths and harmthat occur as a result of crime. Statistically black americans have more to fear from another black american than a police officer. What is your stance on Emily Jones Bolton , the average of 1 death a week at the hands of the mentally ill or the thousands of lives ruined by the grooming gang scandals where fear of addressing issues of ethnicity made the establishment allow things to continue.
Why can’t people forget about colour and instead differentiate on the basis of whether a person is good or bad ? The american officer and his colleagues will hopefully be prosecuted with the full weight of the law , as they should. But using the event to justify violent protest in london is pathetic.
Interesting Carly how you campaign to Save Our NHS, yet support a mass gathering where there may well be infringement of social distancing, thus aiding spread of the virus which will place a burden on the NHS.
Perhaps “All Lives Matter” should be reclaimed by non-racists. A few words could be added to clarify it.
There has been a plea by Matt Hancock on the daily briefing for people to not attend marches and mass gatherings at the weekend.
I hope people pay heed to the message.
By planning to attend this event you are making a mockery of your Save Our NHS slogan.
I hope you reconsider.
Local chap. I fully agree. Yobs will use any protest to cause trouble. They don’t give a fig what the protest is about.
The media love to stir up trouble as well. The other week there was news reports that a black women and her colleague ticket collectors had been spat in the face by a white passenger who had Covid 19 when she [ ticket collector ] asked for his ticket. Two weeks later the lady ticket collector died from the virus. However when the police looked at CCTV no evidence was found of anyone spitting at them and her colleague admitted making it up.
Where were the protests for the worst racist atrocity in this country… you know, the 20,000 young English girls who were groomed, raped and abused by Pakistanis muslims? Where are all you lefties then? Nowhere! You can shove your selective outrage were the sun doesn’t shine.
Lefties? What on Earth are you drivelling about?
Very true Brendon.
This comments section is depressing.
The death of George Floyd is not a stand alone incident, it was however a catalyst for action. Watching a man slowly die pleading for his life when the very men killing him are supposed to protect members of the public when carrying out their jobs, which includes George Floyd himself, is shocking. No one said he was a saint but the circumstances of his death are too familiar. There are countless similar deaths with only eye witness accounts and police denying any wrong doing. Now there are more incidents with video to prove wrongdoing and it has ignited action.
With regards to black people in the UK are protesting both in solidarity with the black community in the US and to highlight startling similarities in deaths of black people in police custody in the UK.
As for arguments about “black on black” killings racial distribution in US cities shows races live very much separately with neighbourhoods rarely have significant racial diversity. It is therefore no surprise that white people largely kill white people and black people largely kill black people in America.
However this was yet another incident involving the police! They are supposed to protect and serve the entire population. Society functions on a contract of reciprocity and the black communities in the US and around the globe do not think they are getting reciprocal treatment. The population of the US is made up of 12.7% black people and yet almost 27% of deaths caused by harm (shot, tasered, beaten, restrained, hit intentionally by police vehicle) from the police force were black people. Also of those black people that died from police harm 17% were unarmed, higher than any other racial group. As such black people in the US feel that their contract with society no longer holds weight and they are showing their dissatisfaction through protest.
What is most disappointing is how many people are publicly commentating on the looting who never previously publicly commented on the clear institutionalised racism in the police force and elsewhere. Outrage over property damage but not over dead people.
Also the “All Lives Matter” argument is hollow as it is based on all lives being equal. Whilst all lives obviously matter we can clearly see black people are being targeted and killed by the police (not all the police obviously). Therefore black people are not being treated as equals in society and so the focus needs to go from all lives to specifically focusing on black lives mattering. Then with our support and action we might be able to achieve equality. Then we can go back to a slogan of all lives mattering. But rest assured at no point whilst the focus is on helping black lives matter will any other racial groups lives not matter (if that wasn’t blatantly obvious).
There is wilful ignorance in this comments section from some individuals. Much of the information I’ve explained is publicly available and the trends are so clear. The lack of interest in researching and understanding the wider picture is the type of insidious nuanced racism that plagues our society.
Have a nice day everyone.
Just as there is willfull acceptance of the movement by others. In this day and age statistics can be used to paint just about any picture. That the police officer acted disgracefully is beyond doubt that there is racism amongst some in society another, but racism works all ways and becomes self sustaining, the looting and violent disorder will do nothing to change the views of those who already view the participants in a racist manner.
Where is your anger at the MSM willingness to let the grooming gangs and incidents like Emily Jones Bolton go pretty much unreported (in proportion to the amount of harm caused) where are the protests in support of young abused girls and demands to deal with the underlying behaviours?
The BLM movement is hellbent on inciting actions that perpetuate stereotypes and opinion which can then be presented as ever rising levels of racism. Its mob mentality and does no one any good.
And to prove my point we have the footage of the protests in london. Some of the protesters deliberately trying to get the police to act against them in the hope of capturing a piece of video that can then be used to show police brutality.
No one dares protest about the grooming of young English girls because society is so politically correct that any mention of skin colour or religious belief makes you a racist or facist. Ordinary people with no racist views are forced to bite their tongues and say nothing while the politically correct brigade slander and accuse at will. Universities are now pressured into banning guest speakers if their political doesn’t suit the pc left wing agenda. Free speech in this Country has never been under as much threat as it is now.
There can be no discussion when one side won’t listen to the other without accusations of racism. The pc brigade are responsible for the years of hell and suffering and abuse that these poor young girls have been subjected to. These poor girls have been raped and gang raped and this has been allowed to happen because people in power didn’t want to upset religious sensitivities.
The post by Si above is very telling, not once does he mention the 13 or more people who have lost their lives due to the rioting. Do these people not matter ? or like many people with left leaning tendencies does he believe that the end justifies the means and to hell with what happens in the meantime ?and let’s not forget that Statistics can be skewed by anyone to justify their cause.
There were two brave people that stood out and spoke up about the girls being raped but the police were told to arrest them and the courts were told to lock them up with the ethnics they protested about. This is PC gone mad. It works well for the ethnics and everyone else must stay quiet!
Everybody belongs to an ethnic group- what exactly does “Kent Resident” mean by this word?