The Royal Borough of Greenwich has released a statement on the murder of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, by police in Minneapolis in the United States.
Protests against the killing have continued in the US as well as closer to home, with thousands of Londoners taking to the street to protest the killing.
The Greenwich Statement, signed by council leader, Councillor Danny Thorpe, Deputy Leader, Councillor Denise Scott McDonald and Councillor Adel Khaireh, the Cabinet Member for Communities, Culture and Equalities.
“We are appalled and outraged by the murder of George Floyd and stand in solidarity with our residents and those across the world who are understandably angry, distressed and grieving for his loss.
“We extend our deep and heartfelt condolences to his family and all who knew him.
“The murder of George Floyd is a stark and shocking reminder to all of us that racism remains alive and well in the world.
“As a borough, we have seen first hand the truly devastating impact racism can have on our communities and we reaffirm our commitment to eradicating racism in our society.
“It is clear that the fight for equality is far from won, and we need to be honest about the inequalities that exist across the world, and indeed within our communities. Last year, the Council worked with the Runnymede Trust so we could get an independent assessment of how we were doing as a borough. The hard truth is that the outcomes for our BAME residents in some areas, such as education, housing and involvement with the police still raise serious concerns. Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, we had been working with schools, the police and a wide range of partners to tackle these injustices.
“We are absolutely determined to do all that we can to eradicate racism in our society. We have worked for many decades with local people and our police to build strong ties to strengthen our community – we renew our commitment to that work today.
“Tomorrow we will be meeting with representatives from BAME organisations across the borough, listening to their concerns and explaining the work we are doing in Greenwich, particularly on the COVID-19 response which we know has had a disproportionate impact on our BAME residents.
“Each and every one of us has a role to play in the fight against discrimination and hatred.
“From tragedy must come change and we are committed to leading that change”.
