Photo of a black blogger deep in conversation with a white Irish civil rights campaigner at the London Black Lives Matter protests is praised for capturing ‘what the day’s really about’
- Photo of two men speaking London’s Black Lives Matter protest has gone viral
- Shows Jim Curran speaking to podcaster Mo Hasan during the demonstrations
- Taken by protester Catryn, who said it captures what the day was ‘really about’
- Comes as small groups of people became involved in violence and vandalism
A photo capturing two men deep in conversation during the Black Lives Matter protests in London has gone viral.
The image, taken by student Catryn Lovitt, 20, shows blogger Mo Hasan speaking to Irish civil rights campaigner Jim Curran during the demonstrations in the capital yesterday.
Mr Curran wore a sign reading ‘racism is the issue’ clipped onto his blazer. Mr Hasan wore a face mask emblazoned with what appears to be: ‘Love over hate’.
Sharing the photo on Twitter, Catryn explained she wanted to show what the day was ‘really about’ after fearing the focus would be shifted to the small number of people who became caught up in vandalism and violence.
The photo has been retweeted more than 41,000 times and ‘liked’ more than 195,000 times.
The image, taken by student Catryn Lovitt, 20, shows blogger Mo Hasan speaking to Irish civil rights campaigner Jim Curran during the demonstrations in the capital yesterday
Dozens of Twitter users commented on Catryn’s photo to say it had captured the spirit of ‘unity’ and ‘support’ that was the focus for the majority of protesters
Speaking to FEMAIL about her decision to share the photograph, Catryn explained: ‘I took the photo in parliament square on Saturday, Jim had been on the wall for some time listening to people make some amazing speeches and when Mo Hassan sat down they immediately started chatting and laughing together.
‘Watching them break down the social barriers of age, race and culture just symbolised to me exactly why we were there. To make this country safe and equal for everyone to be seen and heard.
‘A lot of people have downplayed these protests as solely being about the murder of George Floyd but that simply isn’t true, black people are oppressed in every institution in our society but it’s become so normalised that we often think the UK is innocent when it comes to racism.
‘This photo of Jim is so important and powerful because it shows that people from all walks of life are not going to be silent and passive about it anymore.’
Catryn
Dozens of Twitter users commented on Catryn’s photo to say it had captured the spirit of ‘unity’ and ‘support’ that was the focus for the majority of protesters.
One tweeted: ‘This is so lovely. It’s nice to see the positive stuff from the protests. It’s a shame that there are a few people there who have been violent and caused issues and will be taking attention away from the true cause and purpose of the protests.’
Another wrote: ‘God bless the White man & the black youth! We can achieve peace and equality through dialogue, coming together, debate, compassion and solidarity!’
Mr Hasan, a podcaster and blogger, later took to the social network to share his experience of speaking to Mr Curran. He tweeted: ‘I really enjoyed speaking to this man! Sharing perspectives with him was beautiful.’
Mr Curran is a member of the Irish Civil Rights Association who moved to London in the 1960s. Speaking in a video shared online, Mr Curran explained he has been protesting against racism for 60 years and urged young people to ‘register to vote’ and demonstrate peacefully.
Despite the widespread support for the image there were some who questioned whether the pair should have been practising better social distancing.
Thousands of people took to the streets in demonstrations across the UK as part of ongoing global protests sparked by the death of George Floyd at the hands of US police officers.
Unrest in London yesterday led to 35 officers being injured and 36 people being arrested for offences including violent disorder, criminal damage and assaulting police, the Metropolitan Police said today.
In Bristol, police are continuing to investigate the ‘criminal damage’ of a bronze statue of prominent 17th century slave trader Edward Colston which was ripped down by protesters, a move Downing Street called a ‘criminal act’.
