Why #BlackLivesMatter in the UK
Why #BlackLivesMatter in the UK Like racism and oppression, activism transcends borders worldwide.
Protestors stop traffic on Oxford St. in London, England, chanting cries of solidarity with the city of Ferguson, Missouri on August 15th, 2015. Image by Elizabeth Troolines.
From coast to coast, cries of institutionalized racism and police brutality against blacks have echoed on public media and major news organizations, uniting under the grassroots banner, Black Lives Matter. Inspired by the 2012 death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin and then reignited by the 2014 death of Michael Brown, the Black Lives Matter movement claims to oppose the institutionalized racism against blacks in the American justice system. “We are call to action and response,” reads the Black Lives Matter website. In recent months, the Black Lives Matter movement has shaken American politicians on both sides of the aisle. What began as a grassroots protest has flourished and grown to a strong political force capable of physically interrupting presidential campaign candidates. The hashtag “#BlackLivesMatter” consistently trends on social media platforms like Twitter and Tumblr (the movement’s official Twitter account has over 61,000 followers, including many major news corporations.) The world has watched as American protesters have gathered in the streets to voice their outcry. Politicians have scrambled to show their support—or, more often, complete disassociation—with the movement.
Lesser known, however, are the British counterparts of the Black Lives Matter movement in the United Kingdom, where the same issues of racial injustice are protested. “We see regular abuse of stop and search and regular abuse of powers by police officers in the UK,” said Shanice McBean, a protester who demonstrated among others at the American Embassy in London on August 9th. The protest and vigil marked the anniversary of the shooting of Mike Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. “We’ve got our Trayvon Martins... our Freddie Grays, our Mike Browns,” said McBean. “But in the UK, we’ve also got our Mike Duggans.... our Sean Riggs. “Because oppression [and] racism… is a global phenomena, what you get in the UK, you’re likely to get in the US,” said McBean. “We have very much a shared history.” It’s true that the UK has known its share of backlash against police brutality in recent years. In 2011, 29-year-old Mike Duggan was shot and killed by police in North London, igniting the 2011 English Riots, a week-long protest where thousands rioted in several London boroughs. The protests resulted in looting, arson, and mass-deployment of police. Five people died. On November 26, 2014, thousands of Britons filled the streets to march in solidarity with the American family of 18-year-old Michael Brown, following a grand jury’s decision to clear Darren Wilson, the police officer who shot Brown, of any wrongdoing. To believe that Black Lives Matter is only an American issue would be ego-centrism at its best. This mis-belief is something that Black Lives Matter activists are aware of, and working to fight against. In 2015, a Ferguson Solidarity Tour was conducted by UK supporters of Black Lives Matter. One of the speakers on the solidarity tour was Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors. Cullors’ speaking tour included both the UK and Ireland, and even involved meetings in Parliament. According to Cullors, the US and UK are experiencing similar humanitarian struggles. “There are the similarities, the ways in which black people are treated—it's outright racism,” said Cullors. “You have that same hatred, these white supremacist ideologies coming out of both of our countries. And here too, justice is not being served... The list is vast.” But according to Cullors, awareness of the UK’s solidarity and experiences is limited.
“Black people in the US don't know what's happening here in the UK,” said Cullors. “I'm wellread, well-educated, and coming here and learning these stories I'm like, ‘Why don't I know about this? Why haven't we heard?’” said Cullors. “The US is very insular,” said Cullors. High-profile news organization such as the Huffington Post and the Guardian have consistently reported on issues of institutionalized racism against blacks in the UK, but most American news sources have kept silent regarding UK incidents. “The UK has an image of being better, a humane society in which there isn't the same level of racism,” explains Cullors. “But that shit ain’t true.” America’s ignorance becomes increasingly embarrassing when one considers that according to Newsweek, Black Lives Matter protests have taken place worldwide in metropolitan cities like Tokyo, Deli, and Paris. Protesters waved signs that read, “America, the world is watching,” “#blacklivesmatter” and “No justice, no peace”--all familiar slogans to most Americans. Were American supporters to realize the size and scale of their allies across the pond (and around the world), the future of Black Lives Matter could change considerably. “Now I have a very different perspective that I'm going to take home and talk about,” said Cullors. “We want to show that under the current system … anti-blackness has major consequences. Inside the US, and around the world, anti-black racism has global consequences.”
Protestors stop traffic on Oxford St. in London, England, chanting cries of solidarity with the city of Ferguson, Missouri on August 15th, 2015. Image by Elizabeth Troolines.
From coast to coast, cries of institutionalized racism and police brutality against blacks have echoed on public media and major news organizations, uniting under the grassroots banner, Black Lives Matter. Inspired by the 2012 death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin and then reignited by the 2014 death of Michael Brown, the Black Lives Matter movement claims to oppose the institutionalized racism against blacks in the American justice system. “We are call to action and response,” reads the Black Lives Matter website. In recent months, the Black Lives Matter movement has shaken American politicians on both sides of the aisle. What began as a grassroots protest has flourished and grown to a strong political force capable of physically interrupting presidential campaign candidates. The hashtag “#BlackLivesMatter” consistently trends on social media platforms like Twitter and Tumblr (the movement’s official Twitter account has over 61,000 followers, including many major news corporations.) The world has watched as American protesters have gathered in the streets to voice their outcry. Politicians have scrambled to show their support—or, more often, complete disassociation—with the movement.
Lesser known, however, are the British counterparts of the Black Lives Matter movement in the United Kingdom, where the same issues of racial injustice are protested. “We see regular abuse of stop and search and regular abuse of powers by police officers in the UK,” said Shanice McBean, a protester who demonstrated among others at the American Embassy in London on August 9th. The protest and vigil marked the anniversary of the shooting of Mike Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. “We’ve got our Trayvon Martins... our Freddie Grays, our Mike Browns,” said McBean. “But in the UK, we’ve also got our Mike Duggans.... our Sean Riggs. “Because oppression [and] racism… is a global phenomena, what you get in the UK, you’re likely to get in the US,” said McBean. “We have very much a shared history.” It’s true that the UK has known its share of backlash against police brutality in recent years. In 2011, 29-year-old Mike Duggan was shot and killed by police in North London, igniting the 2011 English Riots, a week-long protest where thousands rioted in several London boroughs. The protests resulted in looting, arson, and mass-deployment of police. Five people died. On November 26, 2014, thousands of Britons filled the streets to march in solidarity with the American family of 18-year-old Michael Brown, following a grand jury’s decision to clear Darren Wilson, the police officer who shot Brown, of any wrongdoing. To believe that Black Lives Matter is only an American issue would be ego-centrism at its best. This mis-belief is something that Black Lives Matter activists are aware of, and working to fight against. In 2015, a Ferguson Solidarity Tour was conducted by UK supporters of Black Lives Matter. One of the speakers on the solidarity tour was Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors. Cullors’ speaking tour included both the UK and Ireland, and even involved meetings in Parliament. According to Cullors, the US and UK are experiencing similar humanitarian struggles. “There are the similarities, the ways in which black people are treated—it's outright racism,” said Cullors. “You have that same hatred, these white supremacist ideologies coming out of both of our countries. And here too, justice is not being served... The list is vast.” But according to Cullors, awareness of the UK’s solidarity and experiences is limited.
“Black people in the US don't know what's happening here in the UK,” said Cullors. “I'm wellread, well-educated, and coming here and learning these stories I'm like, ‘Why don't I know about this? Why haven't we heard?’” said Cullors. “The US is very insular,” said Cullors. High-profile news organization such as the Huffington Post and the Guardian have consistently reported on issues of institutionalized racism against blacks in the UK, but most American news sources have kept silent regarding UK incidents. “The UK has an image of being better, a humane society in which there isn't the same level of racism,” explains Cullors. “But that shit ain’t true.” America’s ignorance becomes increasingly embarrassing when one considers that according to Newsweek, Black Lives Matter protests have taken place worldwide in metropolitan cities like Tokyo, Deli, and Paris. Protesters waved signs that read, “America, the world is watching,” “#blacklivesmatter” and “No justice, no peace”--all familiar slogans to most Americans. Were American supporters to realize the size and scale of their allies across the pond (and around the world), the future of Black Lives Matter could change considerably. “Now I have a very different perspective that I'm going to take home and talk about,” said Cullors. “We want to show that under the current system … anti-blackness has major consequences. Inside the US, and around the world, anti-black racism has global consequences.”
