LONDON. PHOTOGRAPHY BY ZEK SNAPS
In the days following the murder of George Floyd, crowds of young people of all colours and creeds converged in city centres around the world to support one another in the name of justice. Disrupting traffic across the city, they chanted, “No justice, no peace” for not only Floyd, but also Belly Mujinga, the TFL employee who died of COVID-19 following a racist attack in which she was spat on by a member of the public, who claimed he was carrying the virus. The names of countless victims of police brutality and institutional racism rang out, in between speeches around what must be done to end this cycle of hatred in our generation. Prior to attending the march, I spoke to a 50-something-year-old family member who told me they’d attended similar marches in the city at the age of 15. Ignoring the sentiment, I remarked, “And look, nothing’s changed since then.” Though Britain may be considered less racist today than it was in the 1970s, the presence of EDL supporters swamping London’s streets just one week after the BLM protests proved racial abuse and prejudice is far from obsolete in this country. Such ignorant acts continue to tarnish our society, leading to several violent attacks taking place on black Brits throughout summer 2020, including an attack on an NHS worker tasked with putting his life on the line to help on our frontline. Attending the marches, I was left inspired by so many young people taking a stand for justice in the face of a global pandemic. Though the violence and hatred perpetrated against black lives this year have left so many of us weary, the fight must continue. These images by Zek Snaps capture the power of those present at the protests. As Gil Scott Heron said, “the revolution will not be televised.” But 2020 has got me wondering, “how can we plot the revolution when all our phones are tapped?”
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