Protest aims to 'surround' Lancaster with Black Lives Matter message

The stewarded protest - which will see protesters take the knee for 8 minutes and 46 seconds - the amount of time Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on George Floyd's neck before he died - will start at 5.30pm.

A similar protest took place on June 10, where around 150 formed a line along the pavement from the Slavery Memorial in St George's Quay.

Last week, Lancaster residents took photos of themselves "taking the knee" in solidarity with the movement, including staff at Silver Tree Jewellery in Penny Street, Lancaster.

Taking the knee has become a symbol of both respect and defiance in the fight against racism.

Since 2016, some American athletes, including, most famously, Colin Kaepernick, have protested against police brutality and racism by kneeling on one knee during the U.S. national anthem.

A spokeswoman for Stand Up To Racism Lancaster and Morecambe said: "You will have seen in the news, the horrible violent demonstration of fascists in central London last Saturday.

"There were large BLM demonstrations taking place in various places across other parts of London at the same time that were peaceful.

"Locally a couple of people took a racist selfie in an empty Dalton Square, mocking the death of George Floyd.

"They then shared it on social media.

"The point about both of these incidents is that racism and fascism is ever present, but anti-racists are greater in number.

"There have been thousands more anti-racists on the streets in the last two weeks than the two thousand (too many) in Whitehall.

"Note also that the two racists who took the selfie were in an empty Dalton Square.

"A space that had been filled with 500 local anti-racists the previous week."This evening's event is ambitious in it's aim to surround our town with anti racists saying Black Lives Matter and at the same time protecting our community from Covid-19.

"It is as important as ever that we show in numbers that we oppose racism and will fight for real change in our society. The nature of the event encourages social distancing and also makes assembling and dispersing easier to achieve in a socially distanced manner."

The protest will start at the Slavery Memorial in St George's Quay, bu organisers have asked those who want to attend to join at other stewarded areas across the city.

These are:

The top of Market Street around the Travelodge

The traffic lights at Kwickfit and small Sainsbury's at the top of the one way system.

Alongside Dalton Square,

Along Cable Street by the fire station and Sainsbury's.

The spokeswoman added: "All of these areas have slightly wider areas of pavement for people to assemble and spread out from. We may need to have breaks in the line where the pavement is very narrow.

"If there is no one at these points make your way towards the quay and join the line where you meet it.

"At 6pm we will take the knee in silence for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, crouching or standing is fine."