Yvonne Maina, Sam Little, Liza Bilal, Clayton Wildwoode and Tiffany Lyare spearheaded the rally that saw thousands of people came together in the city, marching for a better, more fair world..
“I’ve always been into activism, and as a black woman I am directly affected by the political climate,” says Maina. “I found myself unable to watch the George Floyd video, so I chose instead to use my anger and empower myself by getting involved with a protest in Bristol.
“Systematic racism has always been prevalent within western society. I decided I couldn’t sit back and let it happen any longer, ” says Little. “I know I have to use my privilege and my voice as a white male to stand up to the oppressors and fight for change. Being part of the LGBTQIA+ community – and considering it was transgender women of colour [] who fought for the rights of the community – I believe it is my duty to pay that back.
“In the process of planning the protest, I learnt that community involvement and solidarity is so vital in pushing for change. I learnt the importance of having a strong support system around you, because planning any kind of demonstration, particularly one regarding the worth of black lives, can be draining both emotionally and physically, especially as a black woman.
“Floyd was black and a human, so for him to have been treated in such an inhumane manner was wrong and uncalled for. I believe that being arrested is already a punishment in itself, so for an individual to plead that they could not breathe for eight minutes and 46 seconds, and then for his cry for help to have been ignored, is completely immoral.
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