News / Scotland

Anti-racism protests expected to be held in Scotland

Event scheduled to be held at Glasgow Green, while another has been organised for Holyrood Park in Edinburgh.

Anti-racism protests expected to be held in Scotland — Protests: George Floyd died on May 25, sparking demonstrations across the world.

STV News

7th Jun 2020

Protests supporting the Black Lives Matter movement are expected to take place in Scotland later.

An event has been scheduled to be held at Glasgow Green, between 12pm and 3pm, while another has been organised for Holyrood Park in Edinburgh from 1pm to 3pm.

Thousands of people have registered an interest in attending the events on Facebook.

Meanwhile, the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) has organised a virtual protest and rally, which is due to be held between 6pm and 8pm on Saturday.

Kadi Johnson, the sister of Sheku Bayoh – a man who died in police custody in 2015, is to speak at the virtual protest.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon urged people to support the Black Lives Matter movement safely.

On Twitter, she said: “Make your voice heard in support of Black Lives Matter but do so safely.

“Right now, mass gatherings risk spreading Covid-19 so please protest in other ways.

“STUC is organising an online protest at 6pm today.”

Protests: People holding placards in London on Saturday. <strong>Getty</strong>”/></div><figcaption aria-hidden=true>Protests: People holding placards in London on Saturday. <strong>Getty</strong> <cite class=hidden></cite></figcaption></figure><p>Anti-racism protests went ahead south of the border on Saturday, despite officials advising against mass gatherings due to the coronavirus pandemic.</p><p>Thousands gathered in cities such as London, Manchester, Cardiff and Leicester.</p><p>Ahead of the protests planned in Scotland, campaigners renamed streets in Glasgow city centre that have links to the slave trade.</p><p>In several streets, signs with a black background and white font have appeared alongside the originals, as activists replace the names of tobacco lords and slave trade owners in favour of black activists, slaves and those killed by police officers.</p><p>Cochrane Street — named after Andrew Cochrane, an 18th-century tobacco lord — was alternatively named ‘Sheku Bayoh Street’.</p><p>Buchanan Street, named after a slave owner, was renamed George Floyd Street.</p><p>Mr Floyd, 46, <a href=https://news.stv.tv/scotland/george-floyd-protests-making-voices-heard-in-lockdown?top>died in police custody</a> in Minnesota on May 25 – the incident was captured by onlookers on their phones.</p><p>He could be heard pleading for air as a white police officer was seen kneeling on his neck.</p><div class=

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