The murder of George Floyd, an unarmed African-American man, by police in Minneapolis, USA propelled the Black Lives Matter movement to global headlines. Mass protests in the US have since forced an urgent reckoning about systemic racism and police brutality.
Beyond the US, many are interrogating the same issues in their own countries. In the UK, growing demonstrations are demanding an end to systemic racism and police violence against Black people, who are more than twice as likely to die in police custody than other groups.
On Tuesday, 7 July 2020, our speakers (see below video) discussed the connections between state repression and institutional racism beyond the US and think through the possibilities for international solidarity.
Speakers:
Marcia Rigg is an activist and public speaker. She is the sister of Sean Rigg, who died in police custody in 2008 following prolonged restraint by Brixton police officers in London. She is a member of the United Families and Friends Campaign (UFFC), a coalition of those affected by deaths in police, prison and psychiatric custody in the UK.
Loubna Qutami is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Asian American Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Qutami is also the former Executive Director of the Arab Cultural and Community Center (ACCC) in San Francisco and a founder and the former international general coordinator of the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM).
Moderator:
Malia Bouattia is an activist, a former president of the National Union of Students, and co-founder of the Students not Suspects/Educators not Informants Network.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more.
(To get in touch, e-mail events.english@alaraby.co.uk)
The statements, analysis, opinions and conclusions in this Webinar, and any related written materials are those of the guest speakers and do not necessarily represent those of The New Arab. The information and materials contained in the Webinar may contain inaccuracies or errors and we expressly exclude liability for any such inaccuracies or errors to the fullest extent permitted by law