Solidarity protest at the US Embassy. Photo by Steve Eason.

London protesters stand in solidarity with Ferguson

Today over 120 people gathered outside the US embassy in solidarity with the people of Ferguson, Missouri, writes Shanice McBean.

On 9 August a young black man, Michael Brown, was shot multiple times and left to die on the streets by officer Darren Wilson. Two out of three people in Ferguson are black – but 50 of the 53-strong police department, including Wilson, are white.

Since the murder, resistance in Ferguson against police violence, racism and murder has been met with tear gas and smoke bombs. There have also been attempts to delegitimise protests by portraying them as the opportunism of a group of looters – and the media have already begun a racist smear campaign to criminalise Michael.

At the London vigil those attending chanted “hands up, don’t shoot”, following Ferguson protesters. Speakers spoke about the necessity of connecting the state violence happening in Ferguson with state violence on the streets of London and in Gaza. The vigil was organised by the new, black revolutionary group London Black Revs.

United Friends and Families will be holding their annual demonstration on the last Saturday of October to protest against the impunity with which police get away with murder of black and working-class people.