Spencer Frederick writes:

Following the brutal killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, and perhaps more broadly following a long history of police brutality directed towards black people, a protest was held in Green Park in Bath on Saturday 6th of June.

A protestor looks down on the Green Park event.

The protest was organised by a local Black Lives Matter group, many of whom spoke about their personal experiences with racism during the protest. The goal of the protest was for the voices of black people to be heard, and for an end to the racism endemic in our society.

The event itself was incredibly emotional; there was a real sense of grief in the crowd, but also one of hope. One of the speakers commented that a crowd as large as we were protesting against racism in Bath would be unthinkable a few years ago, and this alone really drove home how important it is to show up for the causes we believe in wherever we can.

Protesters were offered masks on arrival, and advised to maintain safe social distance.  

Two community support officers offer a light-touch presence, in marked contrast to policing of BLM events in London and America.