FULL REPORT: Peaceful Black Lives Matter protest in Worcester

Chants of "Black Lives Matter!" and "fight the power!" rang out across Worcester Racecourse yesterday as a series of keynote speakers recounted their own experiences of racism and called for a radical change in society, including in Worcester.

"I hope for a day when all lives really do matter" said Darian Murray-Griffiths, an 18-year-old speaker from Worcester. He added: "Peace can only triumph when there is no longer any fear and no longer mistrust."

But in a message of hope he told the crowds: "Now isn't the time to lose faith or hope. It is a time to be strong, to be encouraged. I have refused to be intimidated or diminished by the events of recent days."

He also called for peace, telling those gathered: "Violence can never be the way. Violence will not bring George Floyd back from the dead."

Mr Murray-Griffiths, who is mixed race, said he wished to be seen as 'Darian who happens to be black, not as that black boy Darian' and quoted Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King - "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character."

Chyna-Benae Edwards, 17, of Droitwich said: "We need to stop glorifying a whitewashed past and start teaching the reality of it." She added: "Slavery never ended."

Xhosa Cole, 23, from Birmingham said the movement was not about erasing history but about not celebrating it and told the crowds: "Everything we stand on has been looted," he said.

He said education was 'the key to undoing all the years of brainwashing' and told the largely white crowd: "Recognise and understand your own white privilege."

Meanwhile, a large crowd of people, including veterans, gathered at the war memorial outside the city's Cathedral to protect it from attack in the wake of other incidents elsewhere in the country, insisting that their presence was not intended as a counter protest to 'Black Lives Matter' but to protect a monument they held dear and which had huge significance for them and their families.

Some of those gathered, including 31-year-old veteran Thomas Moody of the 2nd Battalion the Mercian Regiment, Worcester's local regiment, had served their country in Afghanistan and Iraq.

His grandfather, Sydney Taylor, was also a serving soldier and fought at the Battle of Ypres during the First World War.

The father-of-one said he wanted to 'protect our heritage and our fallen brothers', describing the war memorial as 'dear to my family' as car horns sounded in support of them.

Darren Greenwood, 51, of Worcester who served in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps was one of those veterans standing guard.

He said: "The war memorial means so much to me, my family and the majority of veterans."

Mr Greenwood described what had happened elsewhere, which had included damage to the statue of Winston Churchill in London, as 'absolutely outrageous'.

Robert Turner who works for the Poppy Appeal also stressed that everyone had a right to protest and that 'stand and protect' was about 'respecting our memorials' and not a counter protest to BLM.

People of all ages and backgrounds stood on Pitchcroft, many carrying placards and banners to protest about racism all over the world, including in Worcester. As they took the knee to remember George Floyd, some raised a fist. One young woman broke down in tears as she read a poem about the racism she had experienced until one of the organisers put her arm around her, finishing the reading which was greeted with loud applause and shouts of support.

Organisers did their best to remind people of the importance of social distancing but in reality it often proved impossible to maintain because of the large numbers at the protest. However, most tried to maintain a two metre distance between themselves and others where they could. At the war memorial, volunteers also struggled to abide by the two-metre social distancing rule.

Sisters Phoebe Jones and Ella Jones held up a portrait of George Floyd. A wide variety of banners were held up with slogans such as 'racism is the biggest pandemic', 'the UK isn't innocent', 'Black is beautiful', 'silence is violence' and 'I can't breathe', the last words of Mr Floyd before he died after sacked police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes in Minneapolis in the US on May 25.

Chauvin now faces charges of second degree murder and second degree manslaughter while three colleagues face aiding and abetting charges.

Yasmin Agilah-Hood, 41, who has lived in Worcester for four years, said the racism in the city was the worst she had experienced and she has lived in Somerset, Bristol and London. She spoke of 'white silence' when she had suffered 'racial slurs'.

"Repressed rage has erupted to the surface like a volcano. The death of George Floyd saddens and enrages me. Did you have to watch a man being murdered to believe racism exists?" she said.

She also said there had been no choice but to protest during the coronavirus pandemic 'because racism is a pandemic that has lasted for five centuries'.

"This is the time for radical change based on compassion and love for other humans. It's time to understand how white people benefit from a system of white supremacy and to break down white privilege," she said.

She added: "This is not a fad. This is not just a hashtag. We're putting our trust in you."