Organisers are expecting a big crowd to turn up to a Black Lives Matter demonstration in Harrogate this weekend.
The demonstration starts on Saturday at 2pm on Montpellier Hill. They will advise people to keep their distance and speakers will talk about their experiences of racism.
Josephine Mary decided to set up the event in response to the death of George Floyd and because she felt like she had not done enough to stand up to racism.
It will be the second Black Lives Matter protest after people gathered to take a knee by the war memorial at the start of the month.
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Since setting up the demonstration Josephine has been subject to a backlash. She said people are worried that there will be clashes with the far-right.
That’s something she does not see happening in Harrogate. North Yorkshire Police are aware of the demonstration and will be attending.
Ahead of the demonstration, Josephine Mary told The Stray Ferret:
“I still see some racist comments from people in Harrogate, they struggle to understand institutional racism and that’s part of why we are doing this. We have ignored for too long the violence and abuse BAME people suffer. We can’t be quiet anymore, this isn’t going away until racism stops.”
