How to support the Black Lives Matter movement even if you can’t attend the protests

Several funds have been set up to pay for bail of protesters who have been arrested

Saturday 06 June 2020 07:38 BST

Police fire tear gas at protesters near the White House

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Thousands of people have joined in demonstrations worldwide in the aftermath of the killing of 46-year-old George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis on Monday 25 May.

Protests, marches and vigils have been held in the US and internationally in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, with activists demanding justice in the wake of Mr Floyd’s death and calling for an end to police brutality against black people.

On 29 May, Derek Chauvin, a Minneapolis police officer, was charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The officer had been filmed kneeling on Mr Floyd’s neck for over eight minutes.

Second-degree murder was later added to his charge, while the three other officers at the scene were charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder.

On Sunday 31 May, thousands took part in an anti-racist protest in London, which saw many protestors kneel and repeat: “No justice, no peace” and “Say my name, George Floyd.” Placards were also held aloft with statements including: “Racism has no place” and “I can’t breathe,” the latter in reference to the words Mr Floyd said as the officer knelt on his neck.

Further protests were held throughout the week across the UK, including in London at Parliament Square on Saturday 6 June and at the US Embassy on Sunday 7 June.

Huge crowds joined in the organised protests. However, not all who wished to attend may have been able to do so.

This may have been because they were unable to travel to the location of a demonstration, were instructed to stay home and continue shielding due to a health condition, or they felt concerned about standing among a large crowd due to the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak and lockdown rules.

If you were unable to attend the protests, there are still several ways you can take action to demonstrate your support, such as by donating to a bail fund or by donating to a fundraiser set up in support of Mr Floyd’s family.

Donate

The Minnesota Freedom Fund is a non-profit organisation that provides funds for protesters who have been arrested and need to pay bail in order to avoid being imprisoned.

“We will walk with transparency and accountability to use those funds to first and foremost pay bail for those who have shown up in love and grief and rage to demand justice for the murder of George Floyd, and then to post bail in our community for those who are held pretrial simply because they cannot pay and to post bonds to free people from ICE detention,” the organisation said.

To donate, click here.

The Bail Project also provides funds to pay bail “to prevent incarceration and combat racial economic disparities in the bail system”.

To donate, click here.

You can ensure your donation is split among several bail funds on the ActBlue website.

These 37 bail funds include the Philadelphia Bail Fund, the LGBTQ Freedom Fund, the Community Justice Exchange National Bail Fund Network and the Mississippi Bail Fund Collective.

To donate, click here.

Two fundraisers have been set up in Mr Floyd’s memory by his family. The first, which was created by his brother Philonise Floyd, was created in order to raise money to cover funeral and burial expenses, to pay for counselling, to cover accommodation and travel expenses during court proceedings and to provide assistance for the family.

To donate, click here.

The second fundraiser was launched by Mr Floyd’s sister, Bridgett Floyd, to provide further care for the family.

To donate, click here.

There are several local Minnesota-based organisations that are in need of donations, including Black Visions Collective, a black, trans and queer-led organisation that is “dedicated to Black liberation and to collective liberation”.

To donate, click here.

Reclaim the Block, which was founded in 2018, is committed to moving money from the police force to help support other areas of the community in Minneapolis. “We do not believe that increased regulation of or public engagement with the police will lead to safer communities, as community testimony and documented police conduct suggest otherwise,” the organisation states.

To donate, click here.

You can help to provide medical supplies to those in need during protests by donating to the North Star Health Collective, a Minnesota-based organisation that coordinates and provides health care services, resources and training.

To donate, click here.

You can donate directly towards the Black Lives Matter movement, in order to support the organisation’s “ongoing fight to end state-sanctioned violence, liberate black people, and end white supremacy forever”.

To donate, click here.

A fundraiser has been set up on GoFundMe for Black Lives Matter UK (BLMUK), a coalition of black activists and organisers from around the UK. The fundraiser is asking for donations in order to “support UKBLM’s work with black communities in the UK”.

To donate, click here.

In April, Belly Mujinga, a black railway worker, died two weeks after being spat at while working at Victoria station in London by a man who claimed he had coronavirus. The British Transport Police recently confirmed that no further action is being taken in relation to her death, stating that there is “no evidence to substantiate any criminal offences”.

A fundraiser has been set up on GoFundMe in order to support her family, including her daughter.

To donate, click here.

The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust, is named after Stephen Lawrence, a black teenager who was killed in southeast London in 1993 in a racist attack.

The organisation “aims to be a fitting legacy to Stephen’s memory” by supporting young people “to transform their lives by overcoming disadvantage and discrimination”, encouraging greater diversity in businesses and “continuing to campaign for fairness and justice”.

To donate, click here.

The Movement for Black Lives is a global initiative that aims to create for black organisations to conduct conversations about current political conditions.

“We believe that prisons, police and all other institutions that inflict violence on Black people must be abolished and replaced by institutions that value and affirm the flourishing of black lives,” the organisation states. “The current systems we live inside of need to be radically transformed, which includes a realignment of global power.”

To donate, click here.

Stop Watch UK, an organisation that has been running for the past decade, is committed to promoting fair and accountable policing, making sure the public is informed about the use of stop and search and providing “legal support challenging stop and search”.

A fundraiser, titled “National Campaign for Fair and Accountable Policing”, has been created on behalf of the charity following recent requests.

To donate, click here.

Sign petitions

Several petitions have been gaining traction in the past week demanding for justice in the wake of Mr Floyd’s death.

One petition, on the website for Color of Change, has accumulated 4.5 million signatures, surpassing its 4 million target.