THE death of George Floyd caused by a police officer in the United States has sent shockwaves around the world and provoking new discussions about racism in society.

In the UK, a protest in Bristol last week which saw a statue of slave trader Edward Colston was taken down, thrown into the harbour and has since been fished out to be put in a museum.

That in turn has prompted debate around Britain’s colonial history and how we look back on it today - as well as how we move forward.

On Saturday, June 13, a Black Lives Matter solidarity demonstration was held on the Brewery Fields in Bridgwater, with a number of organisations and a wide range of ages attending.

Among the organisations supporting the demonstration was Bridgwater Together, Bridgwater & District Trades Union Council and the Bridgwater & West Somerset Labour Party.

A spokesman for Somerset Labour said: “The murder of George Floyd by an American policeman has caused an international outcry and international determination to root out racism.

“Britain is not innocent. Racism is a poison in the veins of our own society and we must join together to oppose it wherever it rears its ugly head.

“We demand equality of treatment for all citizens, immediate and thorough investigation of hate crimes and an end, once and for all, of institutional racism.

“In Bridgwater, we can be proud that Bridgwater was the first town, in 1785, to petition Parliament for the abolition of the Slave Trade.”

The organisers timed it so that the protest was held at the same time as a similar demonstration in Bridgewater, Massachusetts to show solidarity.

A spokesman for Bridgwater Together said: “Bridgwater Together was established to celebrate and unite the different cultures now represented in Bridgwater, to overcome prejudice and negative stereotyping.”