Bristol residents are being encouraged to make their voices heard this weekend by kneeling in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
People across Bristol are being urged to kneel on their doorstop and post a selfie to social media with the hashtags #TakeTheKnee and #BristolTakeTheKnee
The Bristol Take The Knee initiative offers residents another way to show their support for the global campaign and to stand in solidarity with the movement in response to the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Mayor Marvin Rees said: “I would love to see communities across Bristol taking the knee in support and sharing their pictures across social media. The world is watching, and despite the continuing need to maintain social distancing in our fight against Covid-19, we have an opportunity to let the world know Bristol stands against racism, inequality and intolerance.
“We have already co-signed a letter with the UK Core Cities to the Association of African American Mayors in which we shared our concerns and offered our support on race inequality. Closer to home, I have also joined campaigners urging the UK government to tackle race inequalities after the high Covid death toll on BAME communities.
“This weekend, people in Bristol can join their efforts to the national and international voice we have been raising”.
Residents are encouraged to share their images using the hashtags #BristolTakeTheKnee and #taketheknee to add to the tens of millions of people already taking to social media to show their support.
In May, Mayor Marvin Rees joined religious leaders, academics and the director of Operation Black Vote (OBV) in calling for a Covid-19 race equality strategy amid growing evidence of inequalities during the pandemic.
To read the letter sent by leaders of the UK’s Core Cities to the Association of African American Mayors, visit: https://thebristolmayor.files.wordpress.com/2020/06/200603-letter-to-african-american-mayors-association.pdf