Written by Leah Adina
The murder of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, took place on 25thMay. A police officer knelt on his neck for nine minutes while three other officers stood by. This sparked protests in America which soon spread across the world, and to the city in which I live, Leicester.
The protest held on the 6th June saw a turnout of over three and a half thousand and zero arrests. From 1pm we chanted, heard impassioned speeches and knelt for nine minutes in silence. Those nine minutes we knelt were not comfortable, we had to change knees, switch positions or stand. Kneeling for that length of time was hard and uncomfortable but nothing compared to what George Floyd endured in the last moments of his life.
The people behind and a part of the protest:
The protest, organised by a group of young people some as young as 14, had the support of Leicester Councillor Deborah Sangster and other more experienced protestors. As for many this was their first protest.
I caught up with one of the organisers, Huda who is 21. She described how they organised the protest by having delegated groups responsible for: speakers, press/social media, stewarding and music. In liaising with the police, the organisers ensured social distancing and the presence of trained stewards and first aiders. While the police expressed concerns surrounding music in relation to having a large gathering the organisers reiterated that, “our aim is to have the protest and raise awareness for the movement and the injustices faced by black people”.
The speeches that followed raised hugely important points of anti-blackness in the Asian community, white privilege and an education system which is failing black boys.
I also spoke with one of the speakers, Kondwani also known as Kswift, on why he felt he should speak out:
“I feel like this has being going on for way too long and it’s time to put our foot down. People need to understand and learn before change can really happen. Its challenging enough to go through the system, now imagine being black, there are so many things in place to oppress us, it’s overwhelming. This is not something that I want to see my kids going through. I want them to be able to look back and say this is how it was, not this is how it is.”
Why we protest:
Many may question why we are protesting. It is imperative to understand that this is not just an American problem, the UK and many other countries have a deep issue with systemic racism which plagues our society.
This is bigger than just George Floyd, bigger than America, it is a global issue.
Leicester is home to many of the Windrush generation and their descendants, the African Caribbean Centre located in Highfields, only exists because members of the Caribbean community were willing to protest until it became ours. The UK has a deeply rooted issue with racism that hasn’t ‘gone away’ as many argue. It is time to weed out these roots, confront wrongdoings and grow something new and better.
What now?
People are also questioning what we want. What we want is justice for those that have been wronged, black British history being taught as part of the curriculum, members of authority undergoing training to unlearn prejudices, a school system helping young black kids instead of excluding them, black businesses thriving and most simply: equality.
The time for change is now, the time to speak up is now, the time educate is now. Be a part of the solution not the problem. To any non-black people, have those uncomfortable conversations with yourself and family as it is necessary in order to enact change. Either you’re with us or you’re against us against us, don’t allow your silence to aid our oppressors.
I refuse to keep quiet on an issue which is killing black people. Speak up now and let this generation be the last that has to speak on these issues, because I mean it from the bottom of my heart when I say I don’t want to see my kids protesting this in the future.
Black Lives Matter
Justice for Shukri Abdi
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