500 signatures reached
To: NZ GOVERNMENT
BLACK LIVES MATTER
We would like the New Zealand Government to stand up for the rights of black people worldwide.
We would like the rights of black people to be respected world wide and for them to live just like any other race.
We don't only want justice for what has happened so far, such as the death of George Floyd, but we would like for world leaders to help prevent things from happening before we lose another valuable black human.
We would like to be acknowledged as a citizen of the world and we not only want to be given the rights but we want the rights we are given to be respected.
Do not speak for us but acknowledge you stand with us and give us an opportunity to speak and let our voices be heard. Advocate and acknowledge the problem to an international level, let us know you stand by your black people.
Why is this important?
A black person is just human like everybody else. There is no reason for a black person to feel scared to approach somebody just because they are scared of how that person would react because of the colour of their skin.
The story of George Floyd is just enough to explain this, a normal black man but suspected of a crime. He had allowed the officer to arrest him but the officer was still violating his rights while George begs him saying 'I can't breathe'. This whole situation resulted in George losing his life. George had no gun on hand but he was murdered purely because of the colour of his skin.
Since January 1st, 2015, 1,252 black people have been shot and killed by police, according to the Washington Post's database tracking police shootings; that doesn't even include those who died in police custody or were killed using other methods.
Often there is no need for the police to use weapons but it is just purely because the victims are black that the instinct of the police is to shoot. Every loss hurts it really does.
We live in a colonised country here in Aotearoa, and that our solidarity includes standing against racism and I think it is time the silence is broken.
Let us not forget things have fired up in America but this shows us what a lot of black people are facing around our world even in our very own backyard. We have taken on so much as black people and have had excessive patience but ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.