Black Lives Matter: Edinburgh activists to hold another protest this weekend

Activists in Edinburgh have organised another Black Lives Matter rally to take place this weekend at the Melville Monument in St Andrew Square.

It comes after last weekend’s peaceful protest which saw thousands of activists descent upon Holyrood Park to stand in solidarity with those protesting around the world following the death of 46-year-old, an unarmed black man at the hands of white police officers in Minneapolis.

The protest, set to take place on Saturday 13 June between 12pm and 3pm has called upon activists to join organisers ‘in unity and pride’.

The statue commemorates Henry Dundas, a politician who delayed the end of slavery leading to around 630,000 slaves waiting an extra 10 years for their freedom.

Those attending are asked to wear fully black attire and bring banners, flags and signs. Organisers have also asked that those attending wear masks and gloves and also adhere to social distancing rules standing two metres apart.

In wake of the protests, the Henry Dundas statue has been on top of the Melville Monument has been the target of graffiti with the words ‘Son of slaver Dundas colonialist profiteer’, ‘George Floyd’ and ‘BLM’ written on it.

The statue commemorates Henry Dundas, a politician who delayed the end of slavery leading to around 630,000 slaves waiting an extra 10 years for their freedom.

Yesterday, Edinburgh City Council leader Adam McVey told Good Morning Scotland he would feel ‘no sense of loss’ if the statue was removed and it was also announced that wording for a plaque to be put at the base of the statue had been approved to explain Dundas’ ties to the slave trade.

One of the event organisers is Joseph Malik, an Edinburgh singer who gave a speech at the rally at Parliament Square last week and also gave a speech at Saturday’s protest in Holyrood Park.