South London #BlackLivesMatter march organiser on why the issue strikes a chord in Britain

An organiser of one of a string of South London protests has told why he acted after the killing of George Floyd, who died after a police officer was filmed kneeling on his neck in the USA.

Ndan Marshall from Crystal Palace said he was frozen in anger as he watched events unfold surrounding the tragic death in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The activist and motivational speaker, whose own brother died last August, felt that the pain of racist injustice could not be ignored.

Marshall wanted to do something about the racial injustices and inequalities in the UK – and the fact that black people have not been immune to the loss of  life at the hands of the police.

Evidence has shown that BAME people in the United Kingdom die disproportionately as a result of use of force or restraint by the police. Marshall felt compelled to speak out against what he views as systemic racism.

On Sunday May 31st, he led a peaceful Black lives Matter protest which began at the House of Commons in Westminster and marched to the US Embassy.

Despite the country’s lockdown due to Covid-19, thousands of Londoner’s joined in chanting “Black Lives Matter, No Justice No Peace”.

Marshall said: “I just needed to do something. I’m tired of watching black men and women die at the hands of white police officers.

“This hatred for black people is a global issue, so to have people from different races come together shows our unity for humanity.”

Ndan is currently organising several other protest to run throughout the month of June.