By Robin Jackson
Today, Tuesday 25 May, is the first anniversary of the racist murder of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis. Protest events are taking place around the world to mark the occasion. Stand Up To Racism (SUTR) is encouraging people in Britain to take the knee at 6pm today.
There will also be a twitterstorm between 6 and 7pm, promoting the hashtags #TakeTheKnee, #GeorgeFloyd, #BlackLivesMatter and #UKisnotinnocent. SUTR is organising activities across towns in Britain. See here for local details.
George Floyd’s murder caused widespread protests and riots across the US and ignited an unprecedented Black Lives Matter movement within the US, which spread to other countries. The vast revolt against the US capitalist class was not simply about the killing of one person but also about the systematic racism in the US that kills tens of thousands of Americans and forces millions into poverty.
This revolt led in November to Trump losing the Presidential election as the black population mobilised to vote for Biden, in a way it had not done for Clinton back in 2016.
Whilst one US police officer has been convicted of Floyd’s murder, very little else has changed in the US. Capitalism’s racist offensive has not been abandoned, so the fight against racism must continue.
In Britain an authoritarian English nationalist Tory government is pushing a determined racist agenda. It faces a supine Labour leadership that is moving its party in a similar direction.
It is important today to mark the anniversary of George Floyd’s murder and for the protests to continue. The fight against racism needs the support of all progressive people.