Black Lives Matter UK has denied claims the group plan to engage in ‘disruption’ at London’s Notting Hill Carnival.
Reports by national publications said that protests over acts of racially-motivated police brutality were planned by the group for the bank holiday event, as well as a march to remember those killed by police in both the UK and the U.S.
The London Black Revolutionaries, according to the Daily Mail, called for a “fight against social cleansing and gentrification” on their Facebook page last month. “Carnival is one of the last bastions of black Caribbean culture and resistance. Rise up, learn and defend what our grandparents and parents created”.
A spokesperson for Black Lives Matter UK told Dazed that there were no plans by their movement to intervene at the event, which pulls in around one million people every year as the biggest global carnival.
“We have not called for any disruption of carnival as we feel to do so would endanger carnival-goers at an event that is very heavily policed, as well as erasing the radical nature of carnival's origins and the anti-racist work that is done there to this very day,” the spokesperson said. “We will be working in partnership with London Campaign Against Police and State Violence to disseminate Know Your Rights information and to monitor police conduct.
“We are committed to continuing the struggle against racism and state violence beyond August 5's nationwide shutdown, and stand in solidarity with the families and loved ones of those who have died after police contact. We unconditionally support Dalian Atkinson's family in their pursuit of justice."
