Black Lives Matter protest on Lewisham on Saturday

Stand Up to Racism has organised two static, socially-distanced protests on Saturday 27 June at 12noon at Ladywell Fields, Lewisham and at General Gordon Square, Woolwich.

Following the protests in London and across the world, we want to show our support & solidarity with the family of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement and highlight the on-going institutional racism and abuse of police power towards BAME people in Britain.

The location of the Lewisham event is here: https://goo.gl/maps/VVsn5YjcVCxmZkDX7

The location of the Woolwich event is here: https://goo.gl/maps/48eQPTmZpcSu9eYP6

Both events will be held in an open space and will include speeches, poetry, moments of silence and solidarity such as taking the knee.

The organisers are asking that everyone who attends wears a facemask. The organisers will mark out the assembly point to indicate 2 metre distancing and will provide masks, gloves and hand sanitiser, for those that don’t have them.

SE London Stand Up To Racism have also launched an online petition demanding that the charges against Kamyimsola Olatunjoye are dropped and an end to stop and search powers for the police. Kamyimsola is the black woman who was pinned down by six police officers in Lewisham in May.

You can read more about Kamyimsola’s case and see the video of her arrest here https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/18508292.investigation-arrest-black-woman-lewisham-begins/

The petition can be signed here: https://bit.ly/314PkYa

Kamyimsola is now being charged with ‘obstructing a drug search’ and is due to appear at Bromley Magistrates Court on 6 July. We plan to organise a static protest at the court on the day to show solidarity and highlight this abuse of police power.

‘Stop and search’ is routinely used in a racist way. People from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds are up to ten times more likely to be stopped and searched than white people. Figures released last week showed that BAME people were up to seven times more likely to be issued with fines by police under the Covid-19 regulations.

The police in London used ‘stop and search’ over 30,000 times in May alone. This must end. Drop the charges, end stop and search, end racial profiling.

Please sign the petition and share widely with friends and colleagues.

Protest Reports

BLM Deptford Library

Saturday 20 June

Stand Up to Racism organised a static, socially-distanced protest on Saturday 20 June outside Deptford Library.

The hundreds, who attended, many of them families, took the knee to commemorate the death of George Floyd and many held posters naming victims of similar police racism in Britain.

The event include speeches, songs, poetry, moments of silence and the reading of the names of victims of racism in the US and UK.

The rally was addressed by a range of speakers and performers, including representatives of ‘Not a Trend’ a new anti-racist school students organisation, and a range of BAME health workers, poet Mark ‘Mr T’ Thompson.

Harold Wilson, who chaired the event said: “This was a powerful event, which showed that people in Deptford want to take a stand alongside the millions who have protested for Black Lives Matter across the US and across the world. We should remember that the racism faced by black people in the US is also present here, such as the terrible treatment of the Windrush generation, the ‘hostile environment’ directed at immigrants and refugees, and particularly in regard to the abuse of ‘stop and search’ powers by the police. We need to continue to raise our voices to demand an end to such racist policies”.

BLM protest at Lewisham Hospital

Monday 22 June

Over 50 nurses and other health workers also joined a Black Lives Matter protest outside Lewisham Hospital on Monday 22 June, at 5pm along with Stand Up to Racism. They wanted to highlight on-going BAME deaths from coronavirus and the need to tackle institutional racism in the NHS. The protest was supported by the local branch of the Royal College of Nurses and the Unite SE London Medical Branch. They plan to hold another ‘take the knee’ protest at 5pm on Monday 6 July.

Stand Up to Racism plan more protests over the coming weeks. If you would like to get involved join Stand Up to Racism at www.standuptoracism.org.uk.

Main pic: Protesters take a knee in Deptford