Protesters are being thanked for the peaceful and dignified way they took part in the Black Lives Matter protest in Nottingham today.
Hundreds of people turned out at the Forest Recreation Ground to call for social change and give a show of unity following the death of George Floyd in the US. It was one of a number of demonstrations being held around the country.
Following the protest, a large number of people walked into the city centre, and unfortunately, a small number of people sprayed graffiti on the Council House in the Old Market Square.
The group also moved to Byron House, where Central Police Station is located, and three people climbed up on to the canopy outside the entrance, before the group dispersed, with a small group heading back to the Forest Recreation Ground.
Neighbourhood Inspector Riz Khan said: “We would like to thank the vast majority of people who made the Black Lives Matter protest a peaceful and poignant event this afternoon (Sunday 7 June) at Forest Recreation ground. It was attended by people from communities across Nottinghamshire. The organisers also did their best to ensure everyone stuck to social distancing guidelines.
Black Lives Matter demo in Nottingham this afternoon, the biggest the city's seen in a long time #BLMNottingham #Nottingham #BlackLivesMatterUK pic.twitter.com/L2IDWSq55J
— Benedict Cooper (@Ben_JS_Cooper) June 7, 2020
“Several hundreds of people attended the event and just a small handful sadly chose to cause criminal damage to the council house – and this will be investigated – but there were no arrests and overall it was a successful event.
“Nottinghamshire Police stands alongside all those across the globe who are appalled and horrified by the way George Floyd lost his life. Justice and accountability should follow.
Black Lives Matter protest in Nottingham, UK ✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿 pic.twitter.com/RSFsRAycmd
— Lubaynah (@lubaynahh) June 7, 2020
“We are also appalled to see the violence and damage that has happened in so many US cities since then. Our hearts go out to all those affected by these terrible events and hope that peace and order will soon be restored.
“We know people want to make their voices heard. The right to lawful protest is a key part of any democracy, which UK police uphold and facilitate.
“We had a presence at the event to do just that, but also as part of our responsibility to keep people safe from the continuing threat of coronavirus.
“Coronavirus remains a deadly disease and there are still restrictions in place to prevent its spread, which include not gathering outside in groups of more than six people. With so many people gathering in one place to make their voices heard we engaged with people to ensure this could go ahead in a safe manner.
Nottingham Black Lives Matter Protest #blacklivesmatter 💖 Soo amazing how many people turned up nearly 4000 people. Peaceful but significant🤎🤍🖤 pic.twitter.com/dja22zutbg
— Becky (@_becky_grice) June 7, 2020
“Nottinghamshire Police would like to thank people for continuing to work with officers at this challenging time.”
Nottinghamshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Paddy Tipping added: “We express our heartfelt sympathies to the family and loved ones of George Floyd and we acknowledge the current strength of feeling as well as the impact that incidents of this nature have on communities around the world.
“In this country, we are proud of the ‘policing by consent’ model on which our forces operate and the work that our police officers and staff undertake day in, day out to keep our communities safe. We also have clear and accountable governance systems in place, with directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners representing their local communities and holding their Chief Constables to account on behalf of their communities for policing in their area.
“We are committed to working with our communities and Chief Constables to ensure that the principle of ‘the police are the public and the public are the police’ is worked towards and achieved, and that we deliver against the important commitments set out within the NPCC Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.”
