#EndSars: Sheffield students come together to remember victims with candlelit virgil

One student read out a list with the names of victims


The streets of Sheffield were filled with hope and love on Friday night as many gathered outside Sheffield City Hall to remember the victims of the End Sars Protests. Starting with a prayer of faith, they set candles alight in remembrance of those who lost their lives in Nigeria during the End Sars protests.

Paula, the organiser of the event, said: “By lighting a candle, we are re-igniting hope into the hearts of many. We are conveying a message of peace and unity. We are mourning with those in Nigeria. Protesters are not left to grieve on their own. If they’re hurting, we are hurting.”

People walked up the steps of Sheffield City Hall to share their condolences and words of encouragement. Khalid Malami, an Engineering student, read out a list of names of the victims from End Sars protests.

He said: “The Nigerian government has crossed the line. People who hoped for a future, who would have been lawyers, bankers, have lost their lives for this cause. We have to stand together as one. Don’t give up on hope.”

The End Sars protests in Nigeria fought to disband and rally against the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a police unit widely viewed as abusive and corrupt. Youth across Nigeria flooded the streets to call for changes in the security forces as well as reforms in the way the country is run.

Celebrities such as Rihanna, Beyonce, Anthony Joshua, and Kanye West have all taken to Twitter using #EndSars to pledge their support of the movement.

For more information on the protest and ways you can help, see here.

Related stories recommended by this writer:

• Watch: Video shows Endcliffe laundry room on fire as a dryer goes up in flames

• I rated Sheffield University’s re-usable face masks to see where my nine grand is really going

• Our beloved Sheffield Christmas market is set to take place despite coronavirus