Protests must be peaceful

Violence undermines the cause

NO RIGHT-THINKING person can fail to have been appalled by the prolonged and awful death of George Floyd in Minneapolis a fortnight ago.

The outrage at his killing has resulted in growing protests at police brutality and systemic racism not just in America but across the world, including here in the United Kingdom.

There have been pertinent questions about the wisdom of mass protests during a deadly pandemic, with those turning out in support of the Black Lives Matter movement arguing that they have a duty to take a stand against racism that outweighs the potential risks of spreading coronavirus.

It is fair to say that the widespread demonstrations in the UK have sparked a national debate about some of the unhappy chapters of British history that are too often passed over in school books. From the Suffragettes to the civil rights movement in the US, protests which were highly controversial in their time often resulted in permanent improvements that future generations are grateful for.

But whatever the case for these public protests – and it must be noted that demonstrations in Sheffield and Leeds over the weekend passed peacefully and with the majority of participants generally doing their best to observe social distancing - there can be absolutely no excuse for some of the appalling violence directed towards police officers in central London.

Almost 50 police officers were injured after being pelted with fireworks and bottles over the weekend, while graffiti was scrawled on the statue of Sir Winston Churchill.

A total of 135 arrests have been made since, according to Home Secretary Priti Patel, who rightly said “police brutality in the US is no excuse for violence against our brave officers at home”. Those involved with such violence betray the cause they claim to support and undermine the message of those making their point peacefully.