A Black Lives Matter banner displayed on the wall of New Unity – a non-religious church in Hackney, has been repeatedly vandalised; whilst protests have gone on across the nation.

The church in Newington Green, has twice had to clean the phrase ‘stop dividing us’ from the Perspex glass covering the banner on the front of its meeting house.

Minister at the church, Andy Pakula, said: “This damage shows that even in Newington Green, an area rightly known for its radical heritage, the idea that Black lives matter still faces big opposition.”

“We continue to stand with Black people in Newington Green and beyond, and will always work to build a more loving and just world in which structural racism is dismantled.”

The minister added that the banner had previously been torn down prior to the church’s renovation.

The Black Lives Matter movement gained more momentum following the unlawful and brutal killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin.

Around the world protests have been organised in solidarity with the BLM movement.

An example of this is the Oxford Circus march on Sunday, where Oxford Street junction came to a standstill as Bl protestors marched on Central London as they were met with a horde of police officers.

Demonstrators halted at the Oxford Street junction, stopping traffic and bystanders. They were met with 25 police officers, causing a standoff and a spectacle.

Gatherers remained Covid conscious and socially distanced as comments echoing from the megaphone included “Don’t forget your masks guys”.

Disruption was also caused by a bystander, who was asked to leave after repeatedly shouting: “I was stabbed the other day, they don’t deserve justice or peace”.

Despite the offence to the protest, demonstrators rallied round and continued on regardless.

Minister Pakula from New Unity added: “They say it is dividing us,”

“The truth is we are already divided and this is the only way to heal our society.”

The march on Sunday falls in the window of Black History Month. Upcoming protest dates around the U.K. can be found here.