Black Lives Matter protest planned in Shoreham

The peaceful, socially distanced protest will take place at 2pm at Coronation Green in Shoreham tomorrow (Saturday, July 4).

A spokesman said: “Standing together against racism we will raise our voices in solidarity, and demand just and equal treatment of people of colour, not only in Shoreham-By-Sea but throughout the UK and across the world.

“It is long past time to act. Please stand with us.”

The organisers have released an open letter addressed to ‘all Shoreham-by-Sea residents, local councillors, politicians and MP Tim Loughton’ to join the demonstration in support of Black Lives Matter.

In the letter, they say that many forms of discrimination against Black people occur ‘right here in Sussex’, highlighting that a black men are more than 10 times more likely to be stopped and searched than men from other ethnic groups in the county.

The letter also states that black and Asian communities are disproportionately affected by Covid-19, largely as a result of pre-existing economic disparities.

A number of Black Lives Matter protests have taken part in Sussex following the death of George Floyd in the USA in late May.

These have included demonstrations in Worthing and in Steyning.

In Brighton, 10,000 people took to the streets for a Black Lives Matter protest in June.

The open letter from the organisers of the Shoreham event is published in full below:

“This is an open invitation to all Shoreham-by-Sea residents, local councillors, politicians and MP Tim Loughton, to join us as we come together in a demonstration of support for Black Lives Matter, this Saturday 4th July.

“The murder of George Floyd, a black American citizen killed during his arrest in Minneapolis on May 25th 2020, has changed the world forever.

“The tragedy sparked BLM protests across America, the UK and around the world as people of all colours came together, united in grief and rage, committed to ending this undeniable brutality, once and for all.

“Violence inflicted upon black suspects by law enforcement officers is not unique to America and also occurs here in the UK, and the documented evidence of disproportionate deaths of Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people in custody is unequivocal (1).

“Many other forms of discrimination against Black people occur right here in Sussex, where a black man in our community is 11 (eleven) times more likely to be stopped and searched than men from other ethnic groups – one of the highest disparities of its kind in the entire country (2).

“Racial injustice does not end with stop and search.

“As we have seen in recent media reports, Black and Asian communities are disproportionately affected by Covid-19, largely as a result of pre-existing economic disparities.

“In spite of equality legislation, people of colour face discrimination in education, housing, employment, health and aspects of life, and are routinely demonised in sections of the press and mainstream media.

“The Equality Act arrived in 2010, but has there been any genuine change?

“Myriad wide-reaching commissions and reviews have been carried out, generating over 200 recommendations advising how successive Governments can tackle racism in our society – and yet almost nothing has been done.

“We need to ask why.

“The personal testimony of racial injustices endured by people of colour throughout their lives, the kind we find in documentaries, social media and news reporting, is never easy to hear.

“These accounts are not new stories but perhaps now, while the world is alert to the injustice, processing the aftermath of another brutal killing, we are finally able to listen; to experience these stories with empathy and a renewed desire and commitment to create real, lasting change.

“The truth is that we are all still learning what it means to be anti-racist.

“Join us at 2pm as we assemble on Coronation Green in a peaceful, socially distanced protest.

“Standing together against racism we will raise our voices in solidarity, and demand just and equal treatment of people of colour, not only in Shoreham-By-Sea but throughout the UK and across the world.

“It is long past time to act. Please stand with us.

“Start time 2pm, Saturday July 4th Coronation Green, Shoreham-by-Sea.”

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