Racism in all its forms is totally unacceptable. The scenes in Minneapolis were abhorrent and criminal proceedings are rightly underway against those involved in the death of George Floyd.
It's absolutely right that we call out racism and discrimination wherever we see it.
A huge amount of work is being done in the UK to combat racism and ensure equal opportunities for all. Only last week in the House of Commons I asked the Equalities Minister, Kemi Badenoch MP, to confirm that people would receive equal treatment whatever their ethnicity. Of course, there remains a great deal to be done, and the Race Disparity Unit is a specialist team in the Cabinet Office that works with government departments to identify, develop and monitor policies to reduce ethnic disparities.
Black lives do matter, and I entirely understand why people across our entire community want to make their voices heard and demand change for a better, more equal society.
We are however currently living through a pandemic that has forced us all to make massive sacrifices in order to protect the NHS and save lives. Key to fighting Covid19 have been the requirements to stay at home and, when out, to keep at least 2 metres apart. That's why mass demonstrations and protest marches are not appropriate at the moment.
Despite the understandably strong feelings about recent events in America, it was therefore disappointing that a number of people in Aylesbury did still decide to walk closely together for several hours and gather to listen to speeches in a way that was not compliant with the coronavirus regulations and could potentially present a health risk to the local community.
Nonetheless, I am grateful to the organisers, marshalls, community partners and police for ensuring that the march took place peacefully and respectfully, and I was pleased to see that many protestors wore face coverings for public health reasons.
I received a thorough briefing from the police and know they did everything possible to ensure the march took place calmly, and that they worked with the organisers in advance to reinforce the need for social distancing. I pay tribute to the officers led by Superintendent Loebenberg who carefully balanced the right to protest peacefully with the concerns of the community and the need to protect the public. They faced a difficult task which they fulfilled with their usual high degree of professionalism.
The message of the protestors has been heard and I would urge them now to make their arguments in a way that is safe for everybody, as we continue to fight a virus that affects us all.