Newham’s town halls to turn purple in support of Black Lives Matter

Newham Council lights up its town halls in purple in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. At the weekend thousands of people in London, Manchester and Cardiff protested the death of African American George Floyd, 46, who was killed on May 25 while being arrested by a white police officer in Minneapolis.
Mayor of Newham Rokhsana Fiaz said: “While the coronavirus emergency has completely dominated our front pages for the last few months, this past week I have watched in pain and outrage the video of the death of the unarmed black American man, George Floyd, in Minneapolis. The video recording has been widely circulated showing George Floyd pinned to the floor saying he was in pain and couldn’t breathe, begging for his life.
“The unspeakable horror has sparked large-scale civil unrest in America, despite the Covid-19 pandemic gripping the country, symptomatic of decades of police brutality against African-Americans in the US.”
Ms Fiaz added: “George Floyd’s killing has unleashed unprecedented protest in America, being labelled an ‘uprising’ as his family urge peaceful protest, and solidarity is being displayed this side of the Atlantic.
“In Newham, which as one of the highest ethnic minority communities in the UK, we stand in solidarity with George Floyd’s family and friends, the people of Minneapolis, and everyone who continues to challenge racism, discrimination and inequality.”