Black Lives Matter protesters gather in Whitechapel on day of 'nationwide shutdown'

Protest: Black Lives Matter demonstrators in Whitechapel
Sally Hayden
Jamie Bullen5 August 2016

Black Lives Matter protesters have gathered in east London tonight in the latest of a series of demonstrations aimed to “shutdown” Britain.

Hundreds of demonstrators congregated in Aftab Ali Park, off Adler Street in Whitechapel, on a day the group sparked travel chaos across the country.

Protests have taken place to mark the fifth anniversary of the death of Mark Duggan, whose death sparked the London riots when she was shot by police.

Earlier today, 10 people were arrested after protesters blocked a key route to Heathrow airport when they chained themselves to tarmac, sparking fury from holidaymakers.

The campaign group said demos were also being held in Manchester, Nottingham and Birmingham as part of an orchestrated nationwide “shutdown”.

The Black Lives Matter movement began in the US, aiming to enable the African-American community to campaign against violence towards black people.

The group has campaigned regularly following the deaths of black people killed by law enforcement officers.

The UK Black Lives Matter group released the following statement: "This morning UKBLM have #Shutdown roads in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Nottingham to mourn those who have died in custody and to protest the ongoing racist violence of the police, border enforcement, structural inequalities and the everyday indignity of street racism.

"We have chosen today for our action to commemorate the fifth anniversary of Mark Duggan’s death at the hands of the Metropolitan Police.

“We stand in solidarity with the families and friends of all who have died at the hands of the British state.

“We take action because justice has not been delivered through conventional means: the police, the IPCC, the courts or the legislature.

"UKBLM is a network of anti-racist activists from across the UK who believe deeply that #BlackLivesMatter.

"We believe the time is now for a Black Lives Matter movement in the UK to #Shutdown a nationwide crisis of racism."

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