The peaceful event is open to families with children and everyone must follow social distancing measures
THIS SATURDAY, residents across the borough are invited to join a peaceful protest in Wokingham town centre.
The Black Lives Matter event has been organised by Bracknell Against Racism, with approval of Wokingham Town Council.
A spokesperson from the group said: “At the protest there will be speakers covering topics including racism in education, politics, healthcare, the workplace and others.
“By not only taking a stand against the racism in the area but also educating about certain issues Black people are facing in society, Bracknell Against Racism aims to improve local awareness and begin an ongoing conversation about racism in Berkshire.
“Currently, there is a lack of awareness on such issues especially racist ignorance being very prevalent in the community as well as on social media. When reported, these issues have not been dealt with adequately and the Wokingham council survey on racism lacked depth.”
They added: “By saying black lives matter we are not saying other races do not matter, we are saying that currently black lives don’t matter, and we must fight for black lives in order to achieve equality.
“Some examples of incidents in the local area include use of racial slurs which were reported and not dealt with adequately and spray-painting racial slurs and ‘go home’ onto a Black person’s garage and car.”
Bracknell Against Racism said it wants to encourage the borough council and police to better respond to racism and try to prevent racist abuse.
The event will start at 3pm in Elms Field. Familes and children are welcome.
Attendees are advised to observe social distancing and bring plenty of water. They should also wear weather appropriate clothing, a face mask and bring hand sanitiser — if possible.
