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Black Lives Matter: Thousands in Copenhagen to hit streets for massive demo
Ayee Macaraig
June 5th, 2020
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This article is more than 4 years old.
Well over 10,000 people expected to turn up at the US Embassy on Sunday to heed the call for change
Thousands of Copenhagen residents will hit the streets on Sunday to lend their voice to the global call to end discrimination following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis last month.
Sunday’s protest called the I Cant Breathe DEMO will begin at 14:00 outside the US Embassy in Østerbro and continue for two hours.
As of Friday afternoon, about 8,000 people have signed up to attend on Facebook, while another 12,000 have indicated an interest in taking part.
It follows a similar demonstration a week ago in the capital where 2,000 people expressed their outrage as well as protests in Aarhus and Odense in recent days.
READ ALSO: Thousands march in Copenhagen in protest against George Floyd’s death
‘Deafening silence’
Black Lives Matter Denmark said Sunday’s event will demand that the government speak up against the “brutality and murders by their close ally” the United States. It will also call for measures to “root out systemic racism in Denmark and the USA”.
“Denmark’s silence is deafening,” said Black Lives Matter Denmark, a group that aims to address injustices against people of colour in the country.
The government, through a joint statement of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), condemned violence and racism in the US, foreign minister Jeppe Kofod said in a tweet on Thursday. The OSCE statement also expressed concern about attacks against journalists covering the US protests.
Corona precautions
Organisers of Sunday’s protest urged those who wish to attend to follow government guidelines on social distancing to avoid the spread of the coronavirus. The current guidelines require a one-metre distance between people.
They also asked demonstrators to avoid hugging each other and to wear masks if necessary.
Experts have warned that the demonstrations risk becoming so-called super-spreading events because of an increased risk of transmission when big crowds are gathered.
People in cities worldwide, including in Denmark, have marched in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement for racial justice since the May 25 death of Floyd.
Floyd’s death put the spotlight not just on racism in the US but also in other societies across the globe.
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