Image

BLM announces second local march

Police respond to BLM protests

BLM announces second local march

The Black Lives Matter North Lincolnshire have announced a second local protest following a march in Cleethorpes on June 13.

June 13th’s demonstration saw hundreds of supporters join the march.

The second event will also take place in Cleethorpes, but the current start and end points are still unconfirmed.

A date has been set for Sunday, July 12 from 2pm.

Brian Milne, one of the organisers of the protest, said:

“The reason we’re taking it further is because of a lack of response by politicians in this area.

“We have had no response from councillors in this area, no response at all from MP Lia Nici, and the one response we have got from Martin Vickers has been very negative to our cause and what we stand for. So we are taking back to the streets.

“We are reacting to the lack of support and showing local politicians that there is racism in this area and that something needs to be done about it.”

Speaking ahead of the first demonstration, MP Martin Vickers said:

“In recent weeks I, along with North East Lincolnshire Council, have been urging people not to visit Cleethorpes and if they do, they must observe social distancing.

“The overwhelming number of local people have observed the rules and made great sacrifices to prevent the spread of infection and they are understandably anxious about the protest.

“Racism is an evil that must be stamped out but there are proper ways to go about it; protest marches in the present circumstances and tearing down statues are not the way to go about it.”

He urged Home Secretary Priti Patel to assure residents that “property and people” would be defended and social distancing enforced.

Brian Milne added:

“We have changed our name to Black Lives Matter North Lincolnshire because we’re having people asking for support right across Lincolnshire and into other counties.

“It’s just too far for us to travel as volunteers, so we are having to be focused here and help other groups set up elsewhere.

“I just want to point out that, since our protest, we have had no increase in Covid-19 in the area, which a lot of people were concerned about, and we have the support of the NHS here as well.

“As long as we stick to our rules and wear PPE and keep our distance when we can, we will stay safe and keep others safe, too.

“It’s not just the protest that we’re working on, either. One of our speakers, Sandra Murphy, will also be going into schools when it is safe to do so, to speak about her experiences of racism and help educate young people.

“We want to just raise awareness of racism in our community. We have stories of people who have been racially abused in recent weeks and months, and we will be sharing those with local politicians.

“The lack of response is why we are doing this, as something needs to be done. We will be peaceful, just as our last one was, but we will not stop fighting against racism in Northern Lincolnshire.”

The Black Lives Matter North Lincolnshire group has confirmed it is working with Humberside Police to ensure that it remains safe, as well as being supported by NHS services in the area.

Following the peaceful protest earlier this month, Humberside Police praised organisers and participants of the march for their peaceful conduct and for adhering to regulations.

They condemned a small group of troublemakers who attempted to disrupt the demonstration, two of whom assaulted police officers.

Contact Gi Grimsby
Email us: news@gi-media.co.uk
Follows us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest local stories, breaking news and to join the conversation

administrator