Black Lives Matter UK scrapped all plans to disrupt the Notting Hill Carnival with a protest against “racist police” – only to witness thousands of people dancing with officers instead.
The Mail on Sunday last week unveiled plans by an offshoot of the group to taint the usually-joyous celebrations in west London in an attempt to co-opt it for their cause.
But after they were shouted down on social media, BLM UK disowned the plans and decided to mostly stay home.
I don't see the point of people doing a peaceful BLM protest at Notting Hill Carnival. More police will be on alert & it'll ruin the vibe.
— janay aiko (@JanayMarie) August 21, 2016
In now-deleted Facebook post, The London Black Revolutionaries claimed: “Carnival is one of the last bastions of black Caribbean culture and resistance. Rise up, learn and defend what our grandparents and parents created”.
Heat Street attended the Carnival and saw no more than a few BLM activists handing out anti-police leaflets, to the disinterest of those around them.
Their opinions on lethal fascist pigs wasn’t shared by the Carnival revellers who happily interacted with the representatives of Scotland Yard and even twerked on officers:
Twerk @ Notting Hill Carnival 2016 #London pic.twitter.com/qC2rCANKoh
— Nepareizais (@Nepareizais) August 29, 2016
Moment cheeky carnival revellers 'twerk' against Metropolitan Police officer https://t.co/I0qDNVjnlX
— Evening Standard (@standardnews) August 29, 2016
There was work as well as twerk for the police, who ended up making more than 400 arrests.
But the carnival was not unusually violent, and showed that cops and black Londoners can get on just fine.
