Black Trans Lives Matter: Thousands of activists march through London in place of Pride celebrations
Demonstrators marched through streets which were much quieter than usual due to the pandemic moving the annual Pride event online.
Saturday 27 June 2020 19:37, UK
Demonstrators marched towards Downing Street on Saturday in support of Black Trans Lives Matter, as annual Pride celebrations were forced to move online due to the coronavirus pandemic.
London's Pride event, which normally attracts thousands of people supporting the LGBTQ+ community, has been postponed this summer due to COVID-19.
Although the main celebration did not take place, a number of demonstrators held a Black Trans Lives Matter march to honour black transgender people and raise awareness of the violence and prejudice they face.
Two recent deaths the demonstrators were seeking to highlight were those of black trans women Rem'mie Fells and Riah Milton, who were killed in the US earlier this month.
Another was British black trans woman , who was murdered at a hotel near Heathrow Airport in 2018.
Demonstrators gathered at Hyde Park Corner before their march, with many following coronavirus safety guidance by wearing face masks and also carrying flowers as the organisers had requested.
Some carried a large banner declaring "White silence is violence", which also featured in the Black Lives Matter demonstrations.
Other banners said "Fight police brutality, fight racism!", "Fight imperialism!", and "Black trans lives matter".
Protesters again gathered near the statue of former prime minister Winston Churchill in Parliament Square, and a sign outside the Houses of Parliament was defaced - with the word "parliament" crossed out and "racists" drawn on.
Another focus of the march was a potential legal change being considered by parliament, which would prohibit trans people from changing their birth gender without a medical diagnosis.
Amnesty International described the report as a "chilling message that the UK is a hostile place for trans people" ahead of the legislation potentially being debated next month.
Away from the march in London, many members of the LGBT community have opted to hold online celebrations throughout Pride month.
One such event is a 24-hour live stream celebration, Global Pride, which took place on Saturday from 6am.
US presidential candidate Joe Biden was set to take part, as was the Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.
Sir Elton John, Stephen Fry and Natasha Bedingfield were among the celebrities due to appear, ahead of more online events taking place on Sunday.
The Pride Inside events will include LGBT performers and speakers and will last until 5 July.