Black Lives Matter: Nottingham protesters clean up graffiti

A group of teenage anti-racism activists cleaned up Black Lives Matter graffiti sprayed by fellow protesters.

Storm Bennett Baker, 18, spotted the writing on Nottingham Council House as the protest moved through the city.

She and some friends decided to scrub it off because they did not want it to "distract from the true message".

Nottinghamshire Police said they were investigating, and described Sunday's event as largely "peaceful and poignant".

Miss Bennett Baker, of Bulwell, said: "We'd had such a brilliant and peaceful protest. The graffiti distracts from the true message we were trying to put across.

"I understand the anger and frustration. But we want to fight for equality. We need to work together."

She and five friends bought about £40 of soap, water and bleach at Poundland and spent the next three hours trying to clean several pieces of graffiti off the walls.

They were joined by 10 other people, including a family.

Miss Bennett Baker said: "However many people you have [spraying graffiti] you will have as many cleaning up afterwards. We should focus on the good, not the bad."

Janelle Brown, one of the organisers of the protest, said they did not condone the vandalism.

She said: "We do not want to take away from an amazing day.

"A lot of people said there was going to be riots and looting. None of that happened, we proved them wrong."

The main event was held on the Forest Recreation Ground but some protesters marched through the city.

A small group targeted the Council House in the Market Square and three people climbed on to the canopy of the police's city headquarters.

A force spokesman said police were investigating criminal damage but had made no arrests.

He added: "We would like to thank the vast majority of people who made the Black Lives Matter protest a peaceful and poignant event."

David Mellen, Nottingham City Council leader, said the graffiti was "disappointing" but "shouldn't detract" from the protest.

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