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A placard is displayed by a demonstrator as they raise their arms during a protest for the removal of a statue of British imperialist Cecil Rhodes at Oriel College in Oxford, following the death of George Floyd who died in police custody in Minneapolis, Oxford, Britain, June 9, 2020. /Reuters
Black Lives Matter UK (BLMUK), a fundraising drive launched six days ago, says it is touched by people’s generosity after donations towards fighting racism in the UK reached more than £1m.
By Tuesday afternoon, BLMUK had raised more than £750,000, but money pledged to other groups took the total figure to more than £1m.
"BLMUK have been overwhelmed and greatly touched by the generosity of communities and individuals across the country. We have received messages from small villages and towns organizing fundraisers, workplaces or community organizations and black parents desperately concerned about the safety of their children. The safety of the people protesting is our priority and we are working with other groups to ensure this," a spokesperson for BLMUK said.
"In the longer term, we will take our time in making carefully considered plans about how these donations can be best invested into the black communities that need them most."
The Guardian reports that the group will direct the funds towards a host of activities, including advocacy to effect law changes, developing and distributing educational resources, healing practices in black communities, police monitoring, strategies for the abolition of the police and supporting the United Family and Friends Campaign to help friends and loved ones of people killed by British police to access justice.
The U.K anti-racist protests have been inspired by similar protests that began in the Unites States, following the death of an unarmed black man as he was arrested by police in Minneapolis.
George Floyd died on 25 May after a white police officer knelt on his neck for several minutes as he and his colleagues arrested him.
An onlooker's cell phone recorded the incident showing the 46-year-old black man moaning, "Please, I can't breathe" and "Don't kill me" as the police officer pressed his knee onto Floyd's neck.
After several minutes of the police office pressing his knee on Floyd’s neck, the victim went silent and was later pronounced dead.
The video quickly went viral on social media, sparking widespread protest from Tuesday afternoon, some of which have deteriorated into chaos.
In the two weeks since his death, protests has spilled beyond the U.S. as countries across the world show solidarity with the demonstrators seeking justice for Floyd’s family.
