A BANNER supporting the Black Lives Matter movement has been unveiled during a peaceful protest at Gooseholme.

A group of people displayed the 35 metre slogan ‘With privilege it is easy to ignore prejudice’ during the event on Sunday.

“Passers by stopped to talk about the issues, many glad to add their voice,” said Susan Landon of Skelsmergh, who hosted the event with Rosa Matarewicz and Conrad Jochems.

“The police attended and voiced their support. It was extremely peaceful and amicable.”

Rosa Matarewicz said: “It is necessary to draw attention to racism and call it out.

“That is something we can all do, especially if you are on the platform of privilege.

“In these times - and at all times!- we should be moving towards a more and more compassionate life. Racism is not part of compassion.”

The Black Lives Matter network has spread across the world after a video was released of the death of African-American George Floyd in police custody, sparking outrage at his treatment.

Huge crowds of people have taken to the streets all over the globe to raise awareness of race issues.

This comes as new research has highlighted the role a number of Cumbrians played in the horrors of the Atlantic slave trade. Research from University College London (UCL)’s Legacies of British Slave-ownership centre has identified thousands of slave owners who received a share of the £20m in compensation from the UK Government following the abolition of slavery throughout the majority of the British Empire in 1833.

“The UK isn’t innocent of racism,” said Rosa.

“In 1833 the British treasury paid out £20m to compensate slave owners for the loss of their human property - that is £16.5bn today! This debt wasn’t paid off until 2015, using tax payers money. Shocking.”

Mohammed Dhalech, from equality campaigners AWAZ Cumbria: “There’s a lot of history that a lot of people don’t know about, that is not taught in schools either.

“Unless you push people to address this issue, it never gets addressed.”