A MIXED race former soldier has pulled out of a black lives matter protest march in Worcester following violence in other parts of the country, including the desecration of war memorials, which he called ‘mindless thuggery’.

Cllr Chris Michell still strongly supports the message of the Black Lives Matter campaign following the death of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer in Minneapolis in the US. The Conservative Worcester city councillor, the son of a black man from Bermuda who came to Britain with the Windrush Generation, wanted to take part in the march with his daughter. Organisers say it will take place this Saturday and draw in around 700 active supporters to ‘show solidarity in the wake of the George Floyd murder’.

How we reported Cllr Mitchell's original plan to take part in the Worcester march

However, Cllr Mitchell decided not to take part after a weekend of violence, including attacks against police officers, the desecration of war memorials and the destruction of the statue of slave trader Edward Colston in Bristol, pulled off its plinth by protestors and thrown in the harbour.

The former Major in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, 52, said: “I don’t think the violence is doing the cause any good. I don’t want to be associated with that. I don’t think it’s right. The message is being lost by the violence that is being caused and the denigration of war memorials. As a veteran that is very close to my heart.”

He said he was also concerned about how social distancing would be maintained during the protest and feared it would weaken the message in the attempt to reduce the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

How we reported the announcement of the original plan for the march and protest

Worcester MP Robin Walker described the level of violence at the weekend as ‘completely unacceptable’ and that the protests ‘did not require the level of violence and the attacks on police officers we have seen in London’. Mr Walker, whose father campaigned for civil rights in the US alongside Bobby and John F. Kennedy, said he supported the right of people to protest in Worcester. “I hope people will behave in a reasonable and do everything to support social distancing.”

The Bishop of Worcester, Dr John Inge said: “I understand the strength of feeling that is prompting these protests: any form of racism is abhorrent and sadly, it is very alive in this country as well as in America and elsewhere. It must be eliminated.

“At the same time, any protests must remain peaceful: I was disturbed to see violence against the police. During this pandemic it is more than ever crucial that we don’t put added pressure on our emergency services.”