Thousands of anti-racism demonstrators today marched through London to mark UN Anti-Racism Day – a day after a damning report found a black teenage girl was strip-searched over smelling of cannabis.
Organisers Stand up to Racism led the ‘All Refugees Welcome – March Against Racism’ protest march from BBC Broadcasting House down through Whitehall to Parliament Square this afternoon.
Around 10,000 turned out to the protest in the capital, and some 2,000 marched in Glasgow today, Stand Up to Racism said in a tweet.
‘Massive thanks & #solidarity to all unions, campaigns, organisations & anti racists who made today’s #MarchAgainstRacism such a success,’ the post added.
A similar protest is also ongoing in Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Park today, and another march is scheduled tomorrow at City Hall in Cardiff.
Social media footage of the march from Glasgow showed crowds chanting ‘no borders, no nations, no deportations’ and ‘say it loud, say it clear – refugees are welcome here’.
Images from London show thousands of people making their way down Oxford Street will several banners from trade unions UNISON and CWU, as well as organisations including the Stop The War Coalition and refugee group Care4Calais.
At Parliament Square, speakers including Labour MP Diane Abbott, author Michael Rosen and Refugee Council Chief Executive Enver Soloman are addressing the crowd.
Thousands of anti-racism demonstrators are marching through London to mark UN Anti-Racism Day – a day after a damning report found a black teenage girl was strip-searched over smelling of cannabis. Pictured: Protestors on Oxford Street
Images show thousands of people making their way down Oxford Street will several banners from trade unions UNISON and CWU, as well as organisations including the Stop The War Coalition and refugee group Care4Calais
A similar protest is also ongoing in Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Park today, and another march is scheduled tomorrow at City Hall in Cardiff
Thousands bearing banners, placards and megaphones marching down the street in London today, to mark World Anti-Racism Day
Demonstrators gather outside the BBC Broadcasting House today, ahead of a march to oppose racism, Islamophobia, antisemitism and fascism, and to express support for refugees as part of United Nations Anti-Racism Day
Using the hashtag #MarchAgainstRacism, former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who also spoke at today’s rally in London, tweeted: ‘Today we came together to demand the government scraps its Nationality and Borders Bill that would criminalise refugees and those who show the humanity to help them, and instead build a safe passage and security for those fleeing conflict around the world.’
The bill, which is set to be back in the Commons on Tuesday, may face a rebellion amid growing concerns how policies regarding asylum seekers would affect Ukrainian refugees.
At least 27 Tory MPs are backing an amendment which would let asylum seekers to work in the UK as they wait to find out about the status of their application, according to the Financial Times.
A woman sets off a smoke flare as students take part in a march to oppose racism, Islamophobia, antisemitism and fascism, and to express support for refugees as part of United Nations Anti-Racism Day in London
Crowds holding up placards calling for refugees to be welcomed in the UK during today’s World Anti-Racism Day march in London
Protesters hold up signs calling for an end to racism during today’s anti-racism march in London where many also called for refugees to be welcome
Tories have also attempted to replace the bill’s plans to set up ‘offshoring centres’ with global re-settlement schemes, The Guardian reports.
Extinction Rebellion London also attended the march and tweeted about it.
The huge protest comes a day after similar scenes in North London where protestors demanded justice for a black teenage girl who was strip-searched at school by police.
The 15-year-old, known as Child Q, was searched by Metropolitan Police officers – who knew she was menstruating – without another adult present, according to a safeguarding report.
In response to the revelations, a crowd gathered at Stoke Newington Police Station in north-east London on Friday afternoon for a protest organised by Hackney Cop Watch.
Thousands from a myriad of unions and organisations, such as Care4Calais, gathered to march against racism in London today
Thousands of protestors march from the BBC building in Portland place to Parliament square on World Anti-Racism Day, with placards saying ‘no to racism’
Crowds carry signs, banners and placards calling for an end to racism during the march in London today as thousands have also demanded for refugees to be welcome
Protesters carry placards and banners , some saying ‘Black Lives Matter’, as they march through the streets in London today to mark World Anti-Racism Day
Protesters could be heard chanting ‘no justice, no peace, abolish the police’ and ‘racist cops, out of schools’.
They also held up signs reading ‘no to racist police, justice for Child Q’ and ‘we say no to police in schools’, as well as Black Lives Matter banners.
They also chanted ‘shame on you’ at officers outside the station, footage on social media showed.
A protester from Catcalls of London, an Instagram-based awareness group, wrote messages in multi-coloured chalk on the pavement, with one reading: ‘Dearest Child Q, the systems designed to protect you failed you.
A group of demonstrators holding a banner as they march for World Anti-Racism Day in London today, calling for all refugees to be welcome
The huge protest comes a day after similar scenes in North London where protestors demanded justice for a black teenage girl who was strip-searched at school by police
The 15-year-old, known as Child Q, was searched by Metropolitan Police officers – who knew she was menstruating – without another adult present, according to a safeguarding report
They also held up signs reading ‘no to racist police, justice for Child Q’ and ‘we say no to police in schools’, as well as Black Lives Matter banners
A man holds up a placard saying ‘Stand up to racism’ and ‘No to Islamophobia and antisemitism’ during today’s World Anti-Racism Day march in London
Thousands have today come out to march in London, to mark World Anti-Racism Day, holding up up placards, banners and flags
A woman uses a megaphone as crowds hold up signs and placards during today’s World Anti-Racism march through the capital
‘We see you. We stand here for you. We are with you.’
Jessica Klingler, co-founder of Reclaim The Streets, which organised the Clapham Common vigil for Sarah Everard, who was kidnapped and murdered by a serving Met police officer last March, was at the protest.
Ms Klinger said she was outside the station when she learned Scotland Yard will appeal a High Court ruling that it breached the vigil organisers’ rights with its handling of the event.
‘I’m not going to pretend I am not furious,’ she tweeted.
She added: ‘They want us to give up. They want to exhaust us. F*** that. Learn the law.’
Child Q is now taking civil action against the Met and her school, law firm Bhatt Murphy said.
She is acting to obtain ‘cast-iron commitments to ensure this never happens again to any other child’.
The case has drawn outrage from politicians and the public, with London mayor Sadiq Khan sharing his ‘dismay and disgust’ and equalities minister Kemi Badenoch calling it ‘appalling’.
Further protests are planned over the weekend in London, Glasgow and Cardiff ahead of the UN Anti-Racism Day on March 21.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10630919/Anti-racism-protesters-march-London-days-report-Met-Police-strip-search.html
