South London protester explains why he had to act
An organiser of a national march against racism on August 30 has told why he acted after the killing of George Floyd in the USA.
Ndan Marshall from Crystal Palace has already staged a string of South London protests and now wants to widen the campaign with a protest on what would have been the weekend of the Notting Hill Carnival.
One London march will meet at Windrush Square, from 2pm on August 30; another will meet at Notting Hill Gate Station, with both marching towards Downing Street.
He is organising similar events in Birmingham, Manchester, Wolverhampton, Bristol and Leeds under the hashtag #buildingblack – with all the publicity stressing the need for social distancing.
Ndan said he was frozen in anger as he watched events unfold surrounding Floyd’s tragic death in Minneapolis, Minnesota after a police officer was filmed kneeling on his neck.
The activist and motivational speaker, whose own brother died last August, felt that the pain of racist injustice could not be ignored.
Marshall wanted to do something about the racial injustices and inequalities in the UK – and the fact that black people have not been immune to the loss of life at the hands of the police.
Evidence has shown that BAME people in the United Kingdom die disproportionately as a result of use of force or restraint by the police. Marshall felt compelled to speak out against what he views as systemic racism.
On Sunday May 31st, he led a peaceful Black lives Matter protest which began at the House of Commons in Westminster and marched to the US Embassy.
Despite the country’s lockdown due to Covid-19, thousands of Londoner’s joined in chanting “Black Lives Matter, No Justice No Peace”.
Marshall said: “I just needed to do something. I’m tired of watching black men and women die at the hands of white police officers.
“This hatred for black people is a global issue, so to have people from different races come together shows our unity for humanity.”
Ndan is currently organising several other protest to run throughout the month of June and has set up an organisation, Custom Black Index as a directory for black business.
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