Belfast Black Lives Matter protest ‘increased virus risk’

Around 2,000 people took part in a noisy and emotional protest in Belfast city centre yesterday.

Demonstrators took over the main road in front of the landmark City Hall for more than two hours, forcing police to divert traffic.

They chanted, knelt and held aloft hundreds of placards to protest against the death of George Floyd in police custody in the US last week.

People were packed tightly together at the centre of the City Hall protest with others observing social distancing at the fringes of the rally.

In response to the event he Public Health Agency’s Dr Gerry Waldron has warned that coronavirus hasn’t got a conscience and doesn’t recognise good causes.

Dr Waldron told the BBC the virus will operate “regardless of the goodness of the causes that people come out and protest against”.

“Unfortunately, people that congregate in large groups - even if they’re trying to maintain social distancing - put themselves and others in that group at risk.

“We are in very, very changed times now and we’ve got to keep remembering that.”

Dr Waldron said his advice applied to people gathering at beaches and beauty spots, after hot weather in the early part of the week saw large crowds gathered along the coast.

“Pictures don’t necessarily paint the scene for what’s actually happening, but when we have messages all over the place talking about social distancing; talking about people needing to maintain 2m distance from others when they’re out and about; and when you see crowds you ask yourself: ‘How can it be possible to maintain social distancing when in that kind of situation even with the best in will in the world?’

“So, that’s why we’re saying complacency is a big danger now as we’re moving out of lockdown, as the restrictions are being eased.”