Black Lives Matter Gaining Momentum In UK
Black Lives Matter is growing in the UK after a summer of protests around the country in which thousands took to the streets.
Sunday 11 September 2016 17:58, UK
Many young black people believe Black Lives Matter, which developed in the US in response to the killing of unarmed black people by police, will continue to gain momentum in the UK.
Supporters of Black Lives Matter UK first hit the headlines when they brought traffic to a standstill outside Heathrow Airport - and carried out similar protests in Birmingham, Nottingham and Manchester - in a coordinated day of action last month.
At the centre of the movement are families affected by deaths in police custody.
Marcia Rigg lost her brother Sean eight years ago, when he died at Brixton Police Station in south London.
"Deaths are not just happening in the US or other countries, they are actually happening here in the UK," said Ms Rigg, who was invited to the US last year by the Black Lives Matter movement to recount the British experience of black deaths.
Sean Rigg was suffering a psychotic episode when he was detained by police and transported in the prone position, face down, in a police van.
Police footage then shows him in a collapsed state in the station, whilst officers question whether he was faking unconsciousness.
An inquest jury later found their actions contributed to his death.
"Sean died on a cold floor at the feet of police officers who just didn't care," said Ms Rigg.
"A young black man with mental health issues is seen as big and dangerous. But really they are not criminals. They are extremely unwell and vulnerable. We don't have superhuman strength. Black people are not madder than anybody else. But we seem to be treated differently."
The Rigg family are one of several awaiting the outcome of current investigations and reviews into the deaths of their loved ones in custody, and a decision from prosecutors as to whether any officers will stand trial.
Their frustration at delays and the fact no police officer has ever been convicted following a death in custody, is shared by many in the Black Lives Matter movement, who are angry that black people are disproportionately affected.
Figures from campaign group Inquest show that people from ethnic minority backgrounds as a whole are more likely to die - 1/7 deaths in custody and 1/5 deaths after being shot by police were people from minorities, who make up 1/10 of the population as a whole.
Figures from the Independent Police Complaints Commission show that over the last decade, 6% of those who died in police custody were black, compared to their 4% representation in the population at large.
Deborah Coles, of Inquest, said: "Where there is a real issue, is the disproportionate number of black people who die following the use of force.
"They are the most contentious deaths, they have raised serious public and political disquiet."
She added: "You see racial profiling and perceptions which informed how those officers responded, which is the idea of black men being inherently 'big black and dangerous' - those kind of stereotypes which I do think seep into police consciousness and inform the way individuals are then treated."
But the Government said that the number of serious incidents following contact with the police was falling.
Minister for Policing Brandon Lewis said: "The figures show at the moment that [the number of black people dying following police contact is in proportion to the number that are being arrested, and actually there's been a fall in incidents over the last year.
"But there is always more to do. Each death is a tragedy and we need to do more to make sure it doesn't happen."
Many young campaigners questioned whether things were improving.
"I was aware of racism and police brutality, but now I realise it doesn't just affect black people in America, it affects black people globally," Joy, a student in London, said.
"It has pushed me to fight for what I stand for."