BLM campaigners demand justice for 12-year-old Somali refugee as police surround Churchill statue
Thousands of BLM campaigners and Black Trans activists march through London for the fourth weekend in a row despite pleas for social distancing as police surround Churchill’s statue again
- Demonstrators waved banners reading ‘justice for Shukri’, ‘silence is violence’ as well as ‘no justice, no peace’
- Others carried flowers, and held up banners that said ‘fight police brutality, fight racism! fight imperialism!’
- It comes exactly a year after 12-year-old Somali refugee Shukri Abdi drowned in a river in Bury, Manchester
- Police officers formed a protective ring around a statue of Churchill which has previously been vandalised
By James Gant and Lydia Catling For Mailonline
Published: 11:19 EDT, 27 June 2020 | Updated: 15:10 EDT, 27 June 2020
Police surrounded a statue of Churchill while thousands of Black Lives Matter protest descended on London again today and marched along Whitehall demanding justice for Somali schoolgirl Shukri Abdi.
Black Lives Matter demonstrators waved banners reading ‘justice for Shukri’, ‘silence is violence’ and ‘no justice, no peace’ in the street near Parliament.
Others carried fresh flowers, while holding up banners that said ‘fight police brutality, fight racism! fight imperialism!’.
It comes exactly a year after 12-year-old Shukri drowned in a river in Bury, Greater Manchester, which was not treated as suspicious by police.
At least six Metropolitan Police officers formed a barrier around the former war-time Prime Minister’s statue which has been the subject of vandalism during previous protests.
Police again formed a ring around Britain’s greatest ever Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill to protect it from vandals during the protests
One protester stood next to the statue of the former Prime Minister which read ‘Teach colonial history in schools’ as officers watched on
Police officers formed a protective wall around the statue of Winston Churchill which had been vandalised during previous demonstrations
Demonstrators waved banners reading ‘justice for Shukri’, ‘silence is violence’ and ‘no justice, no peace’ in the street near Parliament
A Black Lives Matter protester raises his fist in the air and yells during a demonstration in London earlier today. Next to him another demonstrator pulls down a protective face mask
Others carried fresh flowers, while holding up banners that said ‘fight police brutality, fight racism! fight imperialism!’
It comes exactly a year after 12-year-old Shukri drowned in a river in Bury, Greater Manchester, which was not treated as suspicious by police. Pictured: Protesters today
A social media post advertising today’s march read: ‘Peaceful protest for our sister Shukri. One year on, still no change. Does she not matter?’
It said demonstrators would meet in Hyde Park and march to the Department of Education on Great Smith Street, Westminster.
There was also a virtual protest, organised by LDNBLM and Educators for Justice, for people who wanted to be a part of the movement but could not make it in person.
At the same time there was a Black Trans Lives Matter protest, which met at Wellington Arch at 2pm and marched to Downing Street for 3pm.
Protesters hold up placards as they walk past the statue of former Prime Minister Winston Churchill earlier today during a Black Trans Lives Matter protest
Supporters of Black Lives Matter protest march towards Downing Street in Westminster, central London, on Saturday afternoon
A social media post advertising today’s march read: ‘Peaceful protest for our sister Shukri. One year on, still no change. Does she not matter?’
Today’s demonstrators met in Hyde Park and march to the Department of Education on Great Smith Street, Westminster
A man with an England flag is removed by police after he was standing by the Churchill statue in Parliament Square and argued with people taking part in a justice for Shukri Abdi protest march today on the first anniversary of her death
Shukri’s mother previously said her daughter hated water and could not swim so would not have been near the River Irwell by choice.
In February an inquest into her death heard a school girl ‘told her to ”get in the water or I’ll kill you” but said it was said as a joke’.
The foster carer of one of the four children with Shukri, called Child One in court, said the girl admitted to her three days after the death that she had threatened to kill the school girl if she didn’t get in the water.
Shukri and two of the children had been stopped in Primark earlier that day for shoplifting, the inquest heard.
Giving evidence, her mother Zak Zam Ture said Shukri had never been swimming or been near a river in her life.
Thousands of Black lives Matter campaigners march along Whitehall, London, to demand justice for 12-year-old Shukri Abdi who died in Bury, Greater Manchester, last year
Giving evidence, Shukri’s mother, Zak Zam Ture, said her daughter had never been swimming or been near a river in her life
There was also a virtual protest, organised by LDNBLM and Educators for Justice, for people who wanted to be a part of the movement but could not make it in person
Protesters holding banners during the Black Lives Matter protest asking for justice for the death of Shukri Abdi are pictured today
Demonstrators crouch down and raise banners in the air to campaign for justice for Shukri Abdi whose body was found in the River Irwell last June
Streets were flooded with protesters today demanding justice for Shukri Abdi. Many people hold signs in the air as they walk down Whitehall in London
She told the court she had been expected home at 3.15pm that day – in time for mosque at 5pm.
When her daughter failed to return, Ms Ture went to her school, a nearby park and called on other Somali families to help look for her.
A friend told her she had seen Shukri walking on her own in the direction of her house with two girls following behind, her mother told the hearing.
Police told her afterwards four other children were with her daughter at the river before her death and Shukri and two of the other girls had been stopped in Primark for shoplifting that day.
Shukri’s mother previously said her daughter hated water and could not swim so would not have been near the River Irwell by choice
A woman holds up a sign saying ‘justice 4 Shurki Abdi’ as protesters gather in central London for another weekend of demonstrations
A woman wearing a face covering watches on as another shouts through a megaphone during the rally in central London on Saturday
One of the messages being promoted by Black Lives Matter demonstrators is the demand for justice for 12-year-old Shukri Abdi
Black Lives Matter protests have erupted across the world since the death of George Floyd in police custody in the US.
In recent weeks the statue to Britain’s greatest ever Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill was defaced by BLM protesters and police officers have come under attack.
Last week police formed a defensive ring around the monument, which even had to be boarded up after the plinth was defaced during a rally three weeks ago.
But that protest was largely without incident, in stark contrast to the week before which saw ugly clashes between BLM demonstrators and thugs who pelted police with bottles, barriers and fireworks.
Peaceful protesters make their way through the streets of central London as they campaign in support of Black Trans Lives Matter
A protester smiles at the camera as he stands in a crowd demonstrating in support of the Black LGBTQ+ community today
A campaign makes its way from Wellington Arch to Piccadilly in London today. The crowd are marching in support of the Black LGBTQ+ community
Signs are held in the air saying ‘Black trans lives matter’ as campaigners marched down Piccadilly today in support of the Black LGBTQ+
Black Trans Lives Matter demonstrators hold placards and march along Northumberland Avenue earlier today to celebrate the Black transgender community
Who is Shukri Abdi?
Shukri Abdi came to the UK in January 2017 as part of the UN’s vulnerable persons resettlement scheme which aims to relocate only the most vulnerable people or families.
The 12-year-old Somali girl was resettled in Bury, Greater Manchester, along with her mother and four sisters.
In June 2019 her body was found in the River Irwell in Bury and one unnamed child confessed during an ongoing inquest, in February, that they had threatened Shukri to ‘get in the water’.
Shukri’s mother says it was out of character for her to have been anywhere near the river because she was unable to swim.
Greater Manchester Police said initially that they were treating Shukri’s death as a ‘tragic incident’ and did not believe there were any suspicious circumstances.
Her family claim that Shukri had been bullied at school, but the inquest focuses more on the events on the day of her death.
The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, has said that he wants the actions of public bodies involved looked into and not just the events surrounding her death.
Following Shukri’s death her school said it would review its anti-bullying policy.
