Britons urged to ‘take the knee’ on their doorsteps in support of George Floyd protests

Demonstrators kneel in a moment of silence outside the Long Beach Police Department during a protest over the death of George Floyd. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis) - Credit: AP

An anti-racism campaign group is urging Britons to ‘take the knee’ on their doorsteps as a socially distanced protest in solidarity with George Floyd protesters in the US.

Stand Up to Racism (SUTR) has organised the protest for 6pm on Wednesday as part of a day of action against discrimination in response to the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis.

The 46-year-old African American died last week after a police officer held him down by pressing a knee into his neck, provoking riots in many US cities and demonstrations across the world.

SUTR said the campaign was inspired by the kneeling protest staged by American football star Colin Kaepernick in 2016 that has become synonymous with the Black Lives Matter movement.

Weyman Bennett of SUTR said: ‘Racism is the underlying condition that continues to kill black and BAME communities.


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‘Take the knee at 6pm because there is a boot on the neck of millions of people in the BAME community.

‘Part of the cure for the virus of racism is to embrace anti-racism and anti-fascism.’

SUTR’s Sabby Dhalu said: ‘BAME communities are suffering disproportionately from Covid-19, economic decline and police brutality.

‘We call on people to ‘take the knee’ on their doorstep in solidarity with George Floyd, at 6pm, Wednesday 3 June. We stand for justice for George Floyd and say Black Lives Matter.’

A separate protest has been planned in London’s Hyde Park at 1pm on Wednesday, while a further demonstration is scheduled for 1pm on Saturday in Parliament Square.

The Met Police said its approach was to engage with protesters and encourage them to follow social distancing rules.

Last Sunday, thousands of people took part in Black Lives Matter protests in London’s Trafalgar Square and outside the US embassy, while demonstrations were also staged in Cardiff and Manchester.