I have received many emails about ‘Black Lives Matter’ and the protests in the United States and across the world.
I was personally horrified by the death of George Floyd and the footage that we’ve all witnessed. My own response is to have personally donated to the George Floyd Family Fund to support his loved ones. If you would like to and you haven’t already you can do so here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd
I understand that the police officer involved in the incident has been charged with second-degree murder, and there will be a federal review. I will of course be following developments closely.
Of course black lives matter, all lives matter equally and no one should feel they have any less value for any reason, whether that’s race or ethnicity, gender or disability. I entirely understand the strength of feeling and fully support the right to peacefully protest. Scenes across America of rioting and violence are very distressing. I’m sure we all want to see the US come back together to build a better and more equal future, not tear itself apart .
In this country we have a long-standing tradition of people being able to freely gather together and demonstrate their views. This must never be undermined. However (given the current global health context), I do feel that social distancing should be adhered to, wherever possible, to avoid a second wave of infections.
I will continue to monitor this situation closely.
