Hackney Town Hall

The death of George Floyd is truly shocking. Footage of his arrest and murder has been shared around the world and we know that many residents across Hackney will be feeling hurt, scared and angry about what has happened. 

We share those feelings of deep sorrow and anger.

Hackney has a strong tradition of standing up to racism and we are a proud, diverse borough but the death of Mr Floyd highlights the injustices faced by Black communities and how vital it is that we never stop fighting discrimination and hate. This awful event happened thousands of miles away in the USA, but we know that there have been events much closer to home over the years that have caused similar anger and distress. We will not tolerate discrimination in our borough or our city, and we stand against it across the world. 

At the same time, a report from Public Health England, published today, has highlighted a  clear disproportionate impact from Covid-19 on Black, Asian and other communities and those with protected characteristics. We must not allow this to be forgotten or ignored. 

We will reflect on this evidence and are listening to the lived experience and local concerns from residents and community partners to understand what we can do locally to make a difference within our own communities now and in the future. Over the coming weeks we will outline the further steps we will take to not just continue, but re-energise local conversations to understand what we need to do in the longer term to support our Black residents and staff. 

Tonight parts of Hackney Town Hall will be lit purple, in memory of George Floyd and to show our support to those protesting peacefully in America, while reconfirming our commitment locally to addressing inequalities and injustices in our own borough. As a Council we stand in solidarity with you - and with Black communities across the world. 

The Mayor of Hackney and Cabinet