Hi Rosie! I can think of a range of reasons - solidarity with the American protestors; perceived structural racism in the UK which is being blamed for all manner of inequalities in education, health and housing; general discontent with the present government. Having said that I would suggest one of the biggest reasons might be that young people are all going stir-crazy during the lockdown - having been deprived of the chance to socialise in large groups, the protests give them an excuse to mingle and meet people that they wouldn't otherwise have had.
Some common themes that activists seem to be bringing up include the history curriculum in schools which they say doesn't cover the British Empire or its legacy adequately (or at all), and a desire to remove statues from the public realm that, shall we say, go against modern sensibilities - such as those of slave traders or prominent imperialists such a Robert Clive. There was even one case of a statue being toppled and thrown in the harbour by protestors in Bristol (the 17th Century slave trader and benefactor to the city, Edward Colston) - needless to say this has led to a fierce public debate over how the past should be commemorated and which statues should be retained, as well as counter-protests to protect statues and war memorials from possible vandalism. Personally I think there is a valid argument for removing statues but such decisions should only be made after informed debate, not in the heat of the moment in a revolutionary atmosphere.
From my observation the U.K. protests have been most impressive to those of us on this side of the pond. Large consistent and EVERY DAY! We are so much MORE alike than unalike. Here we are arguing about eliminating all CONFEDERATE statues which commemorate TRAITORS to the union! Imagine erecting a bazillion statues to those who fought and killed Americans to blow up the country? Ridiculous of course but that is a hallmark of many "patriotic" Americans. The Civil War never ended for them. They are massively UNCIVIL and belong to groups like the KKK and white supremacists groups..the people that trump calls "good people". They are ridiculous! So you have statues that are insulting and anti what matters to you and you want them GONE too? To the victor go the spoils. To the victor go the decisions. The pro Confederates are the racists among us who want to go back to slave days and lynchings. REACTIONARY backward looking malcontents they are whipped up emotionally by trump. And then we have the massive problem of racists police which is a very large problem and which our African American brothers and sisters have suffered from every day of their lives. I think racists are drawn to wherever they can carry guns and use them at will. Every day in every way it is happening here. Anyway I'm a fan of your country...anglophile? Thank you for your thoughtful reply Rev! :)
This post was edited by RosieG at June 17, 2020 4:33 PM MDT
Reverend Muhammadovsky 