Hartlepool pair stage socially-distanced roadside protest backing Black Lives Matter campaign

Protests have been sparked worldwide by the death of African-American George Floyd, who died while being arrested by police in Minneapolis.

Victoria Murray, 22, and 21-year-old Grace Stubbings decided to play their part, standing by the side of one of Hartlepool’s busiest roads on Saturday, June 6, with placards bearing the words ‘Black Lives Matter.’

Hartlepool Mail photographer Frank Reid captured the pair during their vigil.

Victoria said they had spent several hours by the roadside and the response from the public had been overwhelmingly supportive.

“We went out at about 1pm,” she said. “We had a break from 3pm, then went out again from about 40pm to 5.30pm.

“We had a good response from drivers going past. We got a few rude hand gestures, but it was mostly very positive. People walking past were quite supportive, too.”

The pair decided to stage their own protest rather than take part in a mass demonstration because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Protest group Stand Up to Racism North East had organised any on-line protest and there was also a physical demo in Newcastle, but the pair chose to respect the lockdown rules.

“I wanted to do something, but I am in Hartlepool and traveling is not a good idea at the moment because of the pandemic,” said Victoria, who is about the graduate to university.

“So I just rang Grace and a call the night before and asked if she wanted to come out, just the two of us. That way we could continue social distancing bhut still be seen by people.

“Hartlepool is not the most ethnically diverse place ever but that honestly mean we can’t make a stand about it.”

Victoria hopes the anger sparked by George Floyd’s death will make a real difference worldwide.

“All these protests have sparked something much bigger,” she said.

“It is no longer just about the death of George Floyd – it is about bringing an end to systemic racism.”

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