Groups of protestors took part in a static demonstration outside Milton Keynes Civic Offices yesterday (28/5).
The demonstrators, who appeared to follow social distancing rules, were protesting against schools across the country reopening next week. Many parents have shared their concerns that they believe schools are being reopened "too early", with the protestors (pictured below) believing that it is "not safe" despite various safety measures being put in place.
One participant said: "We took part today in a static, spaced protest to show solidarity with all school workers, pupils, their families and trade unionists."
During the demonstration, some protestors wore Union t-shirts, while others held up pro-lockdown posters and signs. One man could also be seen holding a piece of paper with a web link on it. Upon closer inspection, the web link directs people to a statement that calls on them to sign and demand a public inquiry into the disproportionate impact of the coronavirus on BAME (Black Asian Minority Ethnic) communities.
Currently, BAME individuals are at a higher risk of contracting and severely suffering from COVID-19. Black men and women are nearly twice as likely to die with coronavirus compared to those who are white, according to the Office for National Statistics.
BBC News says that a scientific review by Public Health England (PHE) into the impact of coronavirus on frontline workers from BAME backgrounds and the wider community is already under way.
In the online statement, signatories are demanding the "recording of the ethnic background of all Covid-19 patients as recommended by the British Medical Association" and that there be "no end the lockdown until it is safe to do so."
On the webpage, it says that various notable figures have signed the statement including dozens of MPs.
The photographs of the static protest that took place in Milton Keynes have since been circulated on social media and shared in various union groups.
Photos: David Isaacson Photography
