Black Live Matter Fundraiser

Calls for justice in the wake of Mr Floyd’s death have resounded around the world, with thousands taking part in protests and demonstrations in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Black Lives Matter is an international human rights movement, originating from within the African-American community, which campaigns against violence, institutionalised and systemic racism towards black people.

To give you some context of the disparate policing of BAME people:

1. Black people are more than eight times more likely to be stopped and searched by the police across the country

Those from BAME backgrounds are disproportionately targeted by the police’s increased ‘stop and search’ powers all around the country. In London, black people are more than nine times more likely to be targets of that tactic, despite committing no offences.

Police are accused of ‘stereotyping’ and ‘targeting’ BAME people through the powers granted to them under section 60 (s60) of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act.

2. The Metropolitan Police is four times as likely to use force against black people

Figures from the 2017-2018 period showed that Met officers were four times more likely to use force against black people than white people as a percentage of the population. Critics have accused the force of ‘profiling’ young black men in London.

A white Met police officer force was last month accused of racism after she handcuffed a black man understood to be an ambulance driver outside his London home. A search found no drugs on him and he was not arrested.

3. Black people in London were twice as likely to be fined for lockdown breaches

In the midst of an epidemic that disproportionately kills minorities, the Met has been twice as likely to fine black people for coronavirus breaches than white people. Black people, who are 12% of the capital’s population, also made up a third of the arrests for alleged lockdown rule breaches.

Asians in London were 26% more likely be to fined by police while white people 23% less likely.

4. BAME people are twice as likely to die after restraint was used

The Inquest charity’s figures on deaths in custody where restraint was a feature show that BAME people are more than twice more likely to die than other deaths in custody.

They are also more than twice as likely to die after the use of force, and nearly twice as many of the deaths in custody involved mental health issues.

5. Choke holds like the one that killed George Floyd are used by British police

While British police are not routinely armed, the use of neck restraints similar to the one recorded in the video of Mr Floyd’s death in the US is still officially sanctioned for use by officers. In the summer of 2017, four young black men in the capital died after being restrained by police. In one incident, witnesses reported the officer knelt on the man’s neck for ‘eight to ten minutes’ while bystanders pleaded with him to stop.

I will be fundraising to support the BLM movement with an auction (where you will be entered into a raffle to win some pretty epic prizes worth over £650), to take part you need to donate to one of the following charities and DM me a screenshot (either via email or Instagram) of your donation. For every £5 you donate, your name will be entered into the raffle once. I have added the links below.

1) Black Lives Matter UK, the coalition of Black liberation organisers across the UK. The collective strives to “dismantle capitalism, white supremacy and the wider power structures that disproportionately affect black people around the world”

https://uk.gofundme.com/f/ukblm-fund

2) Stand Against Racism and Inequality, provide support for people who have suffered against hate crime. The charity employs trained caseworkers in order to help victims with the mental trauma they are experiencing and assist with legal proceedings.

https://www.sariweb.org.uk/who-we-are/donate/

3) The Bail Project, the organisation provides funds to pay for bail during the protests. A critical tool to prevent incarceration and combat racial and economic disparities in the bail system.

https://secure.givelively.org/donate/the-bail-project

4) Runnymede, a charity that carries out research based interventions in social policy and practice to assist policy makers through public engagement, to reduce society being blighted by racism and discrimination.

https://www.justgiving.com/runnymede-trust

Below are some of the prizes available, to keep up to date check our instagram:

@ditchtherag

https://www.instagram.com/ditchtherag/?hl=en