Black Lives Matter campaigners

[RattusRattus]

I am a little confused as to why these guys are demonstrating. There seems to be no obvious catalyst - i.e. in response to a recent example of police racial prejudice. Also isn't BLM an American organisation? It just seems like they are making a point for the sake of it rather than getting themselves heard in a more constructive way. Also, IMO all lives matter, so equality should be the same whatever race you are. I can't really see how are they going to do much more than annoy people by blocking roads.

Glad I found this it's been irritating me all day.

From a marketing point of view these protestors and total bloody idiots.

#BlackLivesMatter is an absolutely essential cause to stop the racist murders in the USA they are diluting and harming that cause!

The issues simply doesn't exist here, not only do not many people get shot and/or killed in any way by police each year, the ones that do are overwhelmingly white

If they are showing solidarity for the USA, why fuck up British people's days and cost the UK money? We aren't doing it and most of those people probably agree. How is that going to accomplish change? Is the UK government going to say "oh dear a protest at Heathrow lets go and make the USA change its racist stance" nope!

If that's the issue then blockade American companies, start a boycott of American Airlines, March on the US embassy, do something constructive.

If on the other hand this is about poor life chances for black children, then start your own campaign, no one gets this, you can't just jump an issue and go "yes but it's not really about police shooting people, or death at all really, it's about socioeconomic factors that are affected by race, but you know we like the #".., worst strap line ever.

Agree with all that hobnails

I was a bit thrown by this today too. I related it to deaths in custody but would have expected a statement about this from the protestors.

Having said that, I was brought up short by the comment on ?the first page of this thread wondering if this protest was leading up to more riots. Does people protesting = riots in our minds? Does black people protesting = riots in our minds? That shocked me.

I totally disagree with the comments above. I grew up in New Zealand far away from south africa and took part in anti apartheid protests there. There are always loads of protests in the uk about things happening around the world. Have you seen any statements from the uk government regarding unlawful killings of black people by law enforcement in the US?

Five years ago the protests led to riots, looting and some deaths. I'm not saying it will happen again but still concerned.

They annoy me.

It should be "Everybody Matters".

Their behaviour today was appalling.

Five years ago the protests led to riots, looting and some deaths. I'm not saying it will happen again but still concerned.

An ad hoc 'protest' outside a local police station in inner London, instigated by friends and family if the deceased on the spur of the moment.

Versus

A pre planned demonstration organised by a campaign group and various supporters at a carefully chosen site in the outskirts of London.

Different demographic, different intent, different type of event; different everything.

"it should be everybody matters".

sigh
Anyway.

I can see people's points about the inconvenience, even if I don't necessarily agree for reasons I've stated.

I cannot, however, grasp how people are still banging on about "all lives matter actually" or "everyone matters". It's at the stage where I find it so spectacularly wide of the point that it's funny to me. Can someone explain the logic to me, please. Why would you see a cause about something specific, that - sorry - doesn't include you because you're not affected and moan about how the name makes you feel left out.

The thing that interests me is that I see articles about other causes involving marginalised communities joining in mutual solidarity with BLM. Actual marginalised communities don't wallow around feeling left out because the name doesn't include their plight. Why is that?

It's the same as seeing a support group whose mantra is "disabled people deserve kindness" and yelling I DESERVE KINDNESS TOO! ...yes, you do, genius. And you're more likely to get it than disabled people which is the point of the campaign!!!

I grew up in New Zealand far away from south africa and took part in anti apartheid protests there.

And if black Brits - any Brits - want to show solidarity with the US, great. But that's not what they're doing. If you look at BlackLivesMatterUK they are focused on what is happening with Britain, and a big chunk of it is stuff that pisses us all off. For instance one of their first points is that it's hard for black people to access mental healthcare. It's hard for all of us!

But they have made a splash and got noticed. Now the smart thing to do would be to take that conversation point and get on TV shows, write op-ed pieces, etc. Do something constructive. But I looked online 20 minutes ago and found that BLM-UK protesters are blocking a supermarket lorry in London. My fear is that if it continues in this vein, (like police cars getting bottled in Hyde Park last week) hostility will grow from both sides, and the police will start getting more aggressive. I hope that doesn't happen.

This is written from a US perspective but a thought provoking response as to why white people are so quick to say all lives matter

m.huffpost.com/us/entry/11109842

Mmm, I live on the other side of the ocean, but some lovely young black men I know in Norwich are stopped and searched all the time and you'd be hard put to find more decent youngsters than they are, so there is still a lot nasty consequences for people who have the wrong colour skin in England.

I've been lurking on this thread. And some of the responses are laughable. I agree, it wasn't the most well thought out protest. However there are a lot of posters speaking from a position of privilege.

Great huff post article, Nzou

'We most often participate in racism by omission, rather than commission. We participate in racism when we fail to see it where it exists. We participate in racism when we continue to act like race is a problem that only Black people have. We participate in racism when we seek comfortable responses like “All Lives Matter.”'

A disproportionate number of people from black and other ethnic-minority backgrounds, often with mental health problems, die in police custody

A disproportionate number of people from black and other ethnic-minority backgrounds, often with mental health problems, die in police custody

But when you consider that Black men are much more likely to interact with Police in the first place, this isn't really surprising.

Whilst one is too many and there have been some unjustified killings by Police no question, which is disgusting and terrible. However this notion that the U.S Police are going around targeting black men for summary execution is statistically untrue.

Every time one of these threads come up I feel like abandoning mumsnet due to the arrogance and ignorance In the attitudes towards halon people, it just proves what they are trying to campaign against really, boo hoo white peoples privilege is threatened.

Black people

it should be all lives matter

Well yes indeed genius!

All lives can't matter until black lives matter.

I can't believe people are still trotting out the "All Lives Matter" bullshit.

If you really can't understand the slogan "BLM" then try adding the word "too" after it.

If you can't understand why there would be unrest around the 5th anniversary of Mark Duggan's death, or why young black men are more likely to be mixed up with police, try watching THE HARD STOP.

It's like bloody "Oh I'm an Equalist".

Of course #blacklivesmatters is needed here. PoC are more likely to be excluded from school, be detained under the MHA, be detained for longer and treated more aggressively, they are more likely to be stopped by police, more likely to be arrested, and are given longer prison sentences. They are less likely to be offered a job.

If you can't see the problem, you are part of the problem.

Oh I hate that "you are part of the problem" bullshit, I don't abide by the "all lives matter" crap either btw.

But this is a very specific movement about murderous shootings in the USA it isn't as BLM try to say about "racialised islamaphobia, abelism, transphobia, homophobia etc etc", and sitting around a shouting "Hands Up Don't Shoot" at unarmed UK police just makes you look like idiots.

Selfish idiots in fact.

Protestors in the US have a damn message, they need help, stop diluting their messages and removing support for them by your selfish, irresponsible and ridiculous actions.

Yes there is an issue with racism in this country but it needs dealing with seperately, and with actual facts. Stating "too many die in police custody, 3 in the last 8 months" in their online video is just hiding the truth, the facts are out there white males are more likely to die in custody, it just makes everyone question the whole thing as bullshit.

Get a decent campaign manager, choose a message and a group to support, choose a desired outcome, give someone some solutions you are seeking, then try again.

Of course all lives matter. It doesn't alter the fact that historically black people have been discriminated against. Yes, things are better now. There are laws and policies in place to stop discrimination. That doesn't mean it doesn't happen though.

A black friend of mine gets racially abused almost every single day at work, not by colleagues or bosses but by the customers he deals with. So yes, while he would say we have come a long way regarding discrimination in some ways in others it is still prevalent.

in their online video is just hiding the truth, the facts are out there white males are more likely to die in custody,

Evidence please!

So, who exactly is saying that black lives DON'T matter dogparking?