Black Lives Matter protestors block cars and trams in England

Black Lives Matter activists blocked roads in Nottingham, Birmingham and the M4 at Heathrow airport in a day of protests against racism in the UK.

Campaigners lay on the slip road to Heathrow airport, tram tracks in Nottingham and on a road near Birmingham airport before they were eventually stopped by police. Police arrested 19 people in connection with the protests.

Black Lives Matter UK (UKBLM), a loose network of anti-racism activists, called the protests to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the death of Mark Duggan, who was shot dead by police during an operation.

“Duggan represents another death in police custody with no consequences,” UKBLM activist Natasha Nkonde said. “Black people are overrepresented in these cases. In the past year we’ve had Mzee Mohammed, Sarah Reed, Jermaine Baker – we are in a crisis about the brutality being inflicted on black people. Sarah Reed had mental health issues and was beaten up by the police and found dead.

“We’re upset about the 3,000 deaths in the Mediterranean this year and of course post-Brexit we know there’s been a 57% increase in hate crimes. We are seeing people talking about how they are being attacked, abused in the streets.

“Other forms of protests have been exhausted and so the disruption today is bringing back to the mainstream discussions around black lives and the racist structures and inequalities we know about.”

Outside Heathrow, protestors unfurled a banner saying “This is crisis” and lay on the road chanting “black lives matter” on the approach to the Heathrow tunnel, bringing traffic to a standstill. The demonstrations caused severe delays to holidaymakers, but a spokesperson for the airport said they did not think anyone missed their flight as a result of the protests.

The national organisation said the UK needs a movement similar to the campaign in the US.

"[We] have #Shutdown roads in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Nottingham to mourn those who have died in custody and to protest the ongoing racist violence of the police, border enforcement, structural inequalities and the everyday indignity of street racism,” it said in a statement.

"We have chosen today for our action to commemorate the fifth anniversary of Mark Duggan's death at the hands of the Metropolitan Police. We stand in solidarity with the families and friends of all who have died at the hands of the British state."

Further protests are expected across the UK in the evening.