Thousands of Black Lives Matter supporters hold peaceful protest
THOUSANDS OF protesters have joined a Black Lives Matter demonstration in Leeds, the second such event to be held in a week in the city.
The peaceful rally, organised yesterday by Black Lives Matter Leeds, followed following a joint protest with Black Voices Matter at Millennium Square last weekend. Protesters massed at Woodhouse Moor, Hyde Park, from 1.30pm where a staggered entry system and social distancing measures were in place.
Organisers urged protesters to maintain a two metre distance as a line-up of speakers and poets took to the stage.
Thousands of people across the UK have turned out for similar anti-racism protests in major cities in protest at the death of unarmed black man George Floyd at the hands of US police.
Protests began in the US after a video emerged of Mr Floyd,
One of the Leeds BLM founders addresses the rally.
46, being arrested on May 25 in Minneapolis, USA. Phone footage showed him gasping that he could not breathe during the arrest by four officers.
Bishop Tony Parry, pastor of the New Testament Church of God on Easterly Road, was one of the first speakers to the Hyde Park stage yesterday.
He opened the demonstration in prayer before speaking on his experiences of racism in Leeds.
Speaking before the demonstration, Bishop Parry said: “I’m here in support of what’s going on, hopefully trying to encourage people to think about what they can do to bring about change.
“The issues being raised today are not new issues. They are issues that have been around for many, many decades.
“But change can’t come unless we can do that together, so I’m here to encourage that.”
Yvonne Abogaye, an events planner from Bradford, was volunteering at the demonstration and had helped to organise social distancing measures.
She said: “There’s been so much emphasis on making sure we have enough masks and hand sanitisers and just organising an event that is the safest it can be given the circumstances.”