Chesterfield protesters take a knee for George Floyd as anti-racism demos held across the region
Around 60 people took part in a socially distanced vigil organised by Chesterfield Stand Up To Racism in Rykneld Square by the Crooked Spire at 6pm yesterday.
James Eaden who helped organise the event said: “We organised our event to ensure the safest possible conditions were put in place to facilitate the vigil and send a message from Chesterfield to say “Justice for George Floyd—Black Lives Matter”.
“Due to the COVID crisis, and in particular due to the disproportionate impact of COVID on the BAME community, the Chesterfield demonstration was a strictly socially distanced event.
“There were a number of speakers from representatives of the black and ethnic minority communities in Chesterfield. It was important for us all to come together to express our solidarity.”
Mr Floyd, an unarmed black man, was filmed gasping and saying 'I can’t breathe' as a white police officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes.
His death, in Minneapolis on May 25, has sparked days of protest in the United States.
An event was also held in Wirksworth and Matlock where 55 attended. A spokesman for Stand Up To Racism - Matlock and Derbyshire Dales said on the group’s Facebook page:
“We are a small rural community in a predominantly white area but it's important to show #blackLivesMatter and that we #StandUpToRacism We need to ensure that racism in any form is not tolerated in our rural towns and villages.”