The ILAW Network strongly condemns the murder of George Floyd at the hands of the police. His murder is the latest in a very long history of state-sponsored violence perpetrated against black people in the United States. It is symptomatic of deep-seated structural racism which has also denied black people fundamental rights, freedoms and dignity, including equality in housing, health care, education and employment. This racism is further compounded for black women and LGBTQ+. We demand justice for all black persons who have been victims of state violence, including full accountability of law enforcement for their dehumanization of black people.
Anti-black racism is widespread and apparent around the world – from the UK to Brazil and beyond. As a community of lawyers, academics and advocates in defense of the rights of workers, the ILAW Network reaffirms that it is anti-racist, condemns racism wherever it arises, and is committed as a network to fighting it in the workplace and beyond. In all of our work, we commit to promote and defend racial equity and thereby give full effect to Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which declares that “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights” and Article 2, which declares entitlement to the rights and freedoms under the Declaration without distinction on the basis of race.
We recognize that “no one is free until we are all free.”
