Protesters at Black Lives Matter shout down racist who says 'black lives don't matter'
A CAMPAIGNER has spoken of her shock after being subjected to a racist heckle at a protest.
The Black Lives Matter event in Guildhall Square, Portsmouth, comes a day after the four police officers went on trial accused over the death of George Floyd in the US.
The death sparked major protests across America and Britain.
Around 200 people gathered for the peaceful demonstration today.
While addressing those in Guildhall Square, university student Destiny Karakus, 21, was heckled by a passer-by, who shouted to the crowd that ‘black lives don’t matter’.
The man was immediately moved on by police, but Destiny told The News this proves a very important point.
She said: ‘For people who say racism doesn’t exist in Portsmouth, this is proof that it does.
‘Black lives do matter and we are going to carry on protesting no matter what.’
The protesting crowd rallied back with a chant of ‘black lives matter' as police handled the incident.
Speaking to The News after the man left, Destiny – a University of Portsmouth student – added: ‘This is the first time I've done a speech at one of these events but I wanted to speak up for what I believe in.
‘Today, racism happened right in front of us, but seeing how everyone responded was so powerful.
‘We have to carry on with the same energy because there is still a long way to go.’
SEE ALSO: Portsmouth Black Lives Matters members hit out at decision to dismiss complaints against Linda Symes
The protest’s co-ordinator, Mariam Daniel, was pleased with the turnout.
‘Considering we’re still in a pandemic, I’m happy with how many people turned up,’ she said.
‘But the fact that we still have to do this in a pandemic speaks volumes about how bad things are.
‘Where racism is so ingrained in our society, from microaggressions to flat-out racial abuse, it is a real uphill battle.’
Today's protest comes after two previously successful events in the summer.
Campaigners have vowed to continue to shed a light on the racism suffered by black people in Portsmouth.
A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron