Harry, Meghan-led Queen’s Commonwealth Trust shows solidarity with BLM as protests erupt at London US embassy
After people in London took to the streets and gathered in front of the U.S. Embassy to launch 'Black Lives Matter' movements following the death of African-American George Floyd due to police brutality, Harry and Meghan's Commonwealth Trust tweeted expressing solidarity with the protesters.
On Monday, June 2, the Queen's Commonwealth Trust, which is headed by the Duke of Sussex, posted a quote from Martin Luther King Jr. "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere," the quote said. The quote was accompanied by a tweet that said: "Young people are vital voices in the fight against injustice and racism around the world. As a global community of young leaders, we stand together in pursuit of fairness and a better way forward. We all have the power to effect positive change. It is time to speak up and speak out. Time to have uncomfortable conversations with ourselves and with others. Time to educate ourselves and unlearn. Time to come together and build a better future as one. #TeamQCT."
The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust describes itself as "a growing network of young changemakers across the Commonwealth". The Queen, Harry, and Meghan oversee the trust. "We champion, fund, and connect young leaders who are working hard to change the world," its website says.
After a video taken on May 25, of Floyd laying face down with handcuffs on his hands pleading, "I can't breathe," while a Minneapolis officer knelt on his neck for eight minutes till he passed out went viral last week, widespread protests and riots began in various states in the U.S. The protests soon erupted globally, with Londoners taking to streets over the weekend, waving placards bearing Floyd's last words - "I can't breathe."
Thousands of campaigners met in Trafalgar Square before making their way across Westminster to the embassy building. The Metropolitan Police confirmed 23 arrests were made outside the U.S. embassy and Trafalgar Square as more protests broke out in cities including Manchester and Cardiff. Aima, 18, one of the two young women who helped coordinate Sunday's protest in London told the Guardian: "I started the #LDNBLM hashtag and it blew off. I didn't expect that to happen. What inspired me was how much pain I've suffered while in the U.K. I moved here from Nigeria when I was 10 and as soon as I came here I experienced a lot of discrimination from the police and from people around me. People need to understand in the U.K., we're suffering too."
She added that there was a good chance that she will die of police brutality before the deadly pandemic can claim her life. "You guys are saying that the corona[virus] pandemic will kill us, but police brutality will kill us first. I'm already risking my life on a daily basis. Corona's not going to kill me before the police kill me," she said in a Twitter video, posted after Sunday's demonstration. Aima added that Floyd's death made her decide to organize the protest because she wanted to "take a stand."
"I think it really made me take a look at the police system all around the world. I have always been focusing on institutional racism in America but it really made me look in the U.K. I have realized that there's so much institutional racism in the U.K. police," she told BBC News.