With author & journalist Gary Younge, Diane Abbott MP & Bell Ribeiro Addy MP.
7pm, Tuesday 19 May
Join on facebook at facebook.com/standutr/live
or YouTube at youtube.com/standuptoracismchannel/live
Recent figures show 28 per cent of Coronavirus deaths were people from BAME communities. The Financial Times estimates the death toll is around 55,000, much higher than the government’s figure of 32, 065. These figures indicate over 15,000 from BAME communities have died. The Office of National Statistics revealed that overall BAME communities were around twice as likely to die, with Black Caribbean people four times as likely to die.
The “back to work” measures announced by Boris Johnson are likely to hit BAME communities hard. BAME people are less likely to work from home, more represented in public sector and key worker roles, and more likely to use public transport. Although Johnson discouraged the use of public transport, in reality many who cannot work from home will be forced to use public transport. This is a shift towards the herd immunity approach initially favoured by the government in response to Coronavirus.
In this meeting we will discuss the demands of no return to unsafe workplaces and a public inquiry into the disproportionate impact on BAME communities, in response to the easing of the lockdown announced by Johnson.
Stand Up To Racism has launched a statement with these demands alongside Diane Abbott, and a host of MPs, trade union leaders, BAME key workers and anti racist campaigners statement available here: https://bit.ly/sutrstatement
