'Leicester is not exempt' say the organisers of a peaceful protest set to bring the Black Lives Matter movement into the heart of the city this weekend.
A demonstration planned for Leicester will be one of many that are being held across the UK following the death of George Floyd, a black US citizen who died when a white police officer held him down by kneeling on his neck for more than eight minutes.
A recording of the incident quickly spread across news channels and social media which sparked a thread of demonstrations in the US and abroad including a March through London on May 31.
Calls for change to British education and attitudes have been echoed loudly across social media channels.
A network of people in Leicester quickly formed a Black Lives Matter group which has now organised the protest at the Clock Tower in the city centre this on Saturday, June 6, at 1pm.
One of the organisers is Teqeela Nyxie Davidson is a 21-year-old student who is part of the group behind the protest.
"Multiculturalness can't be used as a reason for saying racism doesn't exist somewhere" she said.
"This is a global problem and a national problem and Leicester is not exempt from that."
Teqeela, who is studying criminology with psychology at De Montfort University, has used social media as a platform for her activism and a place to educate, support and share information around the Black Lives Matter movement.
In her lifetime she said she has experienced racism in many forms from primary school age up until today - something she said "all black people will have experienced".
'We're just fighting for equality'
The protest being held will be held for anyone who is willing to listen but Teqeela hopes that the message will be heard especially by the government and offer hope and support to young black people.
She said: "I want every single young black person in Leicester and everywhere else to see that they're not alone and want them to feel loved.
"And I want the education system to teach us more about black history than just slavery."
She added: "We're not trying to hurt non-black people, we're just fighting for equality - if we had that the world would be a very different place."
Another organiser, 20-year-old Amy Mae, said that the group started with “just a few people” and now has 100 involved in the organisation and spreading of the message.
She said: “We saw that protests were taking place in other cities and we thought that Leicester is such a multicultural city and we should be standing up as well.
“This isn’t just about America, the UK isn’t innocent and it’s a shame that something like this had to happen for it to get to this point.”
As well as paying tribute to George Floyd and the lives of others who have been lost due to racism or police brutality, she says the protest has been organised as a way to “educate people”.
“There are people from all walks of life who will be at the protest and a few people who are going to speak about white privilege, which is something a lot of people don’t understand," she said.
Speaking from her point of view as a white woman, Amy said: “White privilege is real.
“It’s not that white people don’t have struggles, it’s that they don’t come from the colour of their skin.”
Another teen involved, a 15-year-old who wished to remain anonymous, said that the protest has been mostly organised by a group of young people - some of whom were heavily involved in climate strike protests that took place last year.
She said: "As a South Asian who comes from a community that has a lot of anti-blackness, I wanted to be part of something that will educate people.
"I don't think it is covered enough in the UK and just in the last few days across social media I have seen how misinformed people are."
She is hoping to one day build a career within politics and said she wanted people to understand that regardless of age "young people are still able to have a voice and use them to make a change".
Organisation on the day
Trained first-aiders and stewards will be present to ensure a smooth running of the protest, say organisers..
A website has been made for the Leicester Black Lives Matter group as well as several social channels informing those who plan to attend to remember that social distancing will still be required; masks should be worn if possible.
Masks and hand gels will also be made available by organisers at the protest for those who need them.
In a previous statement for LeicestershireLive, a Leicestershire Police spokesperson said: "We have been made aware of a possible event relating to Black Lives Matter due to take place in Leicester on Saturday.
"Our officers are reaching out to the organisers so that the event can go ahead and we can put an appropriate supportive policing plan in place.
"We continue to have a constant dialogue with all of our diverse communities and work with them on issues that matter to them.
As a force, we recognise people’s right to protest. If you are able to leave your home under the current Health Protection Regulations, we’d ask you think carefully about where you’re going and how you will be able to keep your distance from others."
