Black Lives Matter UK activists have successfully blocked roads leading into Heathrow Airport, the most trafficked airport in Euro[e. The protest is part of a planned series of demonstrations set to take place across the region Friday, CNNreported. The protests were organized to mark the 5th anniversary of the police killing of Mark Duggan, a 29-year-old black whose death in London preceded a wave of protests across Britain.
In a statement to BBC News Friday, Black Lives Matter UK said the day's protests were a way of mourning those who have died in police custody while pushing for change. "We have chosen today for our action to commemorate the fifth anniversary of Mark Duggan's death at the hands of the Metropolitan Police," the statement said. "We stand in solidarity with the families and friends of all who have died at the hands of the British state."
The Heathrow Airport protest immediately caused traffic congestion, with police confirming to CNN that 10 protesters had been arrested. As protesters united in chant, they displayed a banner that said "This is a crisis." One lane of traffic at Heathrow was eventually reopened. Protests are also taking place in Birmingham, Nottingham, and Manchester.
Stateside, the Movement for Black Lives collective recently released its official platform. The platform, published Monday, includes a list of six demands aimed at reversing the impact of institutionalized racism. Those demands, the collective's official websites states, are an end to the war on black people, reparations, invest-divest, economic justice, community control, and political power.
