Pictures: Black Lives Matter peaceful protest held at Bellevue Park

Over three hundred people attended a peaceful protest in Wrexham this afternoon, with attendees “standing together against racism and violence towards our brothers and sisters from America and around the world”.

Thousands have already demonstrated across the UK this week to support the fight for racial equality. They were sparked by the death of George Floyd, an African-American, who was killed in Minneapolis after a police officer held his knee against his neck.

The peaceful protest started at 1pm in Bellevue Park for around 30 minutes. Police and a Cynergy Security were at the park to help enable the protest, which had been moved to the park from Queens Square to help social distancing.

Organisers had issued advice surrounding face coverings and social distancing due to the coronavirus pandemic, and limited the invite to those within five miles of the park, with some critics questioning if protests should take place.

Responding to one MS unhappy at such protests this week the First Minister advised people to find alternative ways to have their voices heard, “My advice to people who are absolutely rightly concerned about what we have seen, the deeply distressing scenes that we have witnessed, is that there are many ways in which you can make your views and your voice heard, and that the restrictions in Wales do not encourage people to get together in large numbers because of the risks that it poses to those people.”

“So, I ask people to think very carefully. Think of all the different ways in which your concerns can be raised, in which your voice can be added to the voice of others, and can be done in a way that does not bring you into difficulties with our regulations, and does not end up posing the risk that coronavirus can pose to you and then to other people.”