Black community calls anti-racist protest in Barcelona on Sunday

Born in the wake of George Floyd’s killing only a week ago, the Black, African, and Afro-descendant Community in Spain (CNAAE) have called a series of protests in Barcelona and other major cities and towns on Sunday.

"We see how [institutional racism] undermines black lives both directly, with the physical assassination, and indirectly, with structural poverty, the exploitation of our labor, and the lack of opportunities we experience in different parts of the world," read the group’s manifesto. 

Este domingo la Comunidad Negra de Cataluña convocamos una concentración en la Pl. Sant Jaume en memoria de George Floyd, las vidas negras y contra el racismo.
Esta convocatoria nace de la necesidad de expresar nuestra rabia y dolor contra un nuevo crimen racista, esta vez en USA pic.twitter.com/3Og7fIY4ds

— CNAAE (@CnaaeB) June 1, 2020

CNAAE is committed to shedding light on the connection between "George Floyd’s racist assassination and the deaths of our brothers and sisters in the Mediterranean sea", as well as the deaths of black people in police custody in Spain.

The organization urges protesters to comply with safety measures to avoid the spread of Covid-19, such as the use of facemasks and keeping at least a 2-meter distance between attendees.

In Barcelona, the protest will begin at 11 am in Sant Jaume square, in front of the headquarters of the Catalan government and the city council.

Simultaneous protests are expected in other Catalan towns, such as Sitges, Granollers, Salt, and Vilafranca del Penedès.