1,000 or more expected at BLM protest
ORGANISERS are expecting more than 1,000 people to turn out for Saturday’s Black Lives Matter protest in St Peter Port.
The event has been rescheduled to take place this weekend to tie in with the relaxation of lockdown rules and the end of restrictions on the size of gatherings.
A spokesman for the group said they were ready for the weekend. Protesters will be gathering on The Quay, between the Albert and Crown piers, at about noon and the event will last about an hour.
‘We have some speakers organised – a couple of higher profile individuals and some from the general public – to talk about their experiences with racism and how it had affected them,’ the spokesman said.
‘I highly expect people to bring signs and placards to show their support for the cause. At the end of the protest, we’re planning to have everyone kneel for 8 minutes and 47 seconds to show grievance for the tragic incident that caused George Floyd’s death.’
Due to the relaxation of the rules as Guernsey enters Phase 5 of the easing of lockdown, there is no need for people to wear masks or socially distance, however the spokesman said they would be encouraging everyone to respect each other’s personal space.
‘We’re expecting somewhere between 1,000 to 1,500 people to turn up,’ he said.
‘Law Enforcement will be absolutely minimal, mostly there to just direct traffic at either end of the closed section of the road.’
He said that much of feedback they had received about the protest had been amazing.
‘[We have had] people offering to help and a lot of “thank yous” from the local community for putting this all together, however it isn’t all great, as you’d expect,’ he said.
‘Some people on social media have been saying we should not protest for something that “doesn’t affect us as a local community” which, quite honestly, is ignorant of the truth.
‘This does affect us, as we have seen from the viral video that circulated on social media of the Salerie Corner incident.
‘We’re hoping to push for the anti-discrimination laws to be passed in Guernsey, as that is extremely overdue.
‘We’re also hoping to show our support for America in these difficult times and prove to them that they are not alone.’
