‘Surround the Town’: Black Lives Matter protesters are taking the knee in Lancaster tomorrow

Stand up to Racism Lancaster and Morecambe have organised another protest for Black Lives Matter. The event will be held this Wednesday.

The event is in response to Stand Up To Racism nationally calling on people to take the knee wherever they are at six pm on Wednesday. The event will be one of the many happening at the same time around the country.

Protesters will assemble at 5.30pm at various points across Lancaster and spread out at least two metres apart to the next point to create one continuous line.

This continuous line is made up of seven locations. Slavery Memorial on the Quay up China Street, Judges Lodgings, Market Street opposite Waterstones, Primark along Common Garden Street, Dalton Square down Gt John Street, Opposite St Leonard’s Gate (by Nice and Spicey), North Road and Cable street outside the fire station back along towards the Bus Station.

Protesters will then take the knee (crouching or standing is fine) at six pm for 8 minutes and 46 seconds.

Stand Up To Racism are keen to adhere to social distancing guidelines and ask those participating to bring masks and gloves and disperse observing social distancing.

According to the organisers Facebook page, people interested in attending are asked to let Stand Up To Racism Lancaster and Morecambe know if you are coming and name the assembly point you are going to. Some groups or organisations may take particular assembly points. For example East Meets West have agreed to be on the Quay. LYFE may form the link from Primark along Common Garden Street to Dalton Square.

Map of the route. Via Stand Up to Racism Lancaster and Morecambe on Facebook

When asking the Stand Up To Racism Lancaster and Morecambe for further details about the event they responded:

“We stand in solidarity with the BLM protests taking place in the US against deaths of Black people at the hands of the police. We are also protesting about Black deaths in custody here. In addition we are calling for a public inquiry into the disproportionate number of BAME deaths from Covid. Surround the town provides us with maximum exposure and encourages social distancing at the same time.”

The event is supported by 12 local groups as advertised on their Facebook including; Lancaster and Morecambe Trades Union Council, Lancaster and Morecambe District NEU, Lancaster UCU and Lancaster and Morecambe CWU to name a few.

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