Hundreds Of Pounds Raised For Black Lives Matter Campaign On The Isle Of Wight

Hundreds of pounds has been raised for the Black Lives Matter (BLM) campaign on the Isle of Wight.

Yesterday (Thursday), a peaceful protest took place in Newport, in memory of black American man, George Floyd, who died in police custody in Minneapolis, America - sparking worldwide anger and outrage.

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People gathered in Church Litten Park and started the protest with chants of 'Black Lives Matter', before kneeling on one knee for nine minutes - representing the amount of time George Floyd was pinned to the ground with a knee on his neck.

Passionate and heartfelt speeches were made by people of all ages, backgrounds and races, expressing their determination to try to end racism.

Police and the Isle of Wight Council both supported the event which was organised responsibly.

As part of the Isle of Wight Black Lives Matter campaign, a fundriasing page was set up to support a number of organisations campaigning for racial justice and equality. More than £770 has been donated (at the time of writing).

Organisers said on the page:

"First, we came together as community to say that this cannot go on, that we must fight racism in our society, and that Black Lives Matter. We assembled in Church Litten and made our voices heard.

"Now, we want to go further: to put our money where our mouth is and do our part in making real change."

Speaking to Isle of Wight Radio at the event, one of the organisers, Spencer Port-Munsie, said:

"I was ecstatic when I saw how many people turned up - I didn't think it would be like this at all. It really warms my heart.

"We put out rules and people did so well to keep it toned down and there have been no problems. It makes me so happy.

"My message to people would be to just educate yourself. Do some research, because if you have a different view then you are uneducated. There is no real reason not to have the same opinion on this.

"Listen to what we are doing because it means so much to us."

LISTEN to Spencer HERE:

In a statement, Dave Stewart, Leader of the Isle of Wight Council said:

"Recent events in America have shone a light onto the relationship between police forces and the communities they serve, and particularly the way in which policing can have an impact on the lives of minority groups. In America this is focused on black people, but across the world these events have resonated with people of all races.  

"The death of George Floyd was a shocking and deeply troubling incident, but it would be wrong to imagine that this is an issue far away, concerning people that are not like us. Although it is not usually so obvious, prejudice and racism can be found on the Isle of Wight too, and if we allow it could divide and damage our community.

"We are lucky enough to live in a society where our police are committed to tackling bias, racism and discrimination of all sorts. We have confidence in our police officers, and I was pleased to hear about the sensitive and supportive policing of the Black Lives Matter protest in Church Litten recently which ensured that those in our Island community who wanted to show their solidarity and concern could make their voices heard safely and without fear.

"Those who are concerned about George Floyd and events in America can be assured that the Isle of Wight Council stands alongside our police and other public services, committed to the highest standards of equality and inclusion as we work with our diverse communities. And if at any time we fall short in those aspirations, we will not be afraid to deal with it in a transparent and honest way."

WATCH: Black Lives Matter protest on the Isle of Wight (video contains some language people may find offensive)