The Labour leader Keir Starmer the party's deputy leader, Angela Rayner have released a photo of the pair taking a knee to show support from the Black Lives Matter movement.
The tweet read: "We kneel with all those opposing anti-Black racism."
We kneel with all those opposing anti-Black racism. #BlackLivesMatter https://t.co/ZvjBndwqKk— Keir Starmer (@Keir Starmer) 1591715831
This mark of solidarity with the anti-racism movement was also observed by Starmer's fellow Labour MP Dawn Butler, who took the stance outside of parliament with a group of female MPs.
#BlackLivesMatter As #GeorgeFloyd is laid to rest may we all pledge to ensure we do our bit for a equal more equit… https://t.co/eV07EYcVef— Dawn Butler MP✊🏾💙 (@Dawn Butler MP✊🏾💙) 1591721786
In the US, Democrats including Nancy Pelosi took the knee in congress for almost nine minutes, the amount of time that officer Derek Chauvin knelt on the back of George Floyd's neck, and wore traditional African kente cloth scarves.
Congressional Democrats take a knee as they observe a nearly nine minute moment of silence for George Floyd at Eman… https://t.co/uhN8fh94kf— ABC News (@ABC News) 1591626390
The Democrats did receive a heavy dose of backlash for taking the knee, with many feeling that it was nothing more than a token gesture that did nothing to repair the decades of systematic racism in the US.
Starmer and Labour received a similar reaction to their photo, especially as the party is yet to take any action after a leaked report in April found that a minority of it's members had been deemed to be racist and antisemitic and after worked to prevent Jeremy Corbyn from winning the 2017 general election.
The former barrister had also drawn criticism after he said that protesters in Bristol were wrong to have torn down the statue of slave trader Edward Colston.
@Keir_Starmer unless this goes hand in hand with taking strong action informed directions by Black people it’s lite… https://t.co/BZE9nUmIDB— Beth McColl (@Beth McColl) 1591724525
@Keir_Starmer Yet, you allow Labour MPs who committed vicious racial abuse against black Labour MPs as revealed in… https://t.co/7YkkChknM5— Red Robin 🏳️🌈 (@Red Robin 🏳️🌈) 1591716333
@Keir_Starmer I had a lovely cup of tea in there once. Now prove #BlackLivesMattet by suspending the racists revealed in the Labour leaks.— Rachael Swindon (@Rachael Swindon) 1591716759
Unwilling to condemn Labour's racist staffers, critical of protesters tearing down the statue of a slaver, but now… https://t.co/A09IFNy6Zq— The Hipster Union Rep (@The Hipster Union Rep) 1591728633
I don't want Keir Starmer to take a knee in an empty conference room, I want him to take the report which exposed a… https://t.co/EUbrxY1CJh— Ash Sarkar (@Ash Sarkar) 1591717275
However, others applauded the act of solidarity, no matter how problematic it might have been.
Taking a knee by @Keir_Starmer and @AngelaRayner in support of the Black Lives Matter movement is very powerful af… https://t.co/w0lGMvFi0v— Kevin Maguire (@Kevin Maguire) 1591731960
@Keir_Starmer legends.— Aaron Bastani (@Aaron Bastani) 1591716185
@Keir_Starmer This is a great move by Sir Starmer and Labour. This is the best way to show solidarity with people w… https://t.co/56NzmB5rYZ— The Political Rants (@The Political Rants) 1591715989
@Keir_Starmer Our future prime minister. For the many, not the few 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽— Rahul (@Rahul) 1591715885
Although Boris Johnson is yet to repeat the same kind of gesture he has said 'Black Lives Matter' but did couple it with an unfounded belief that Britain was not a racist country.
The act of taking the knee began as a form of protest against police brutality and was started by NFL player Colin Kaepernick in 2016.