Black Lives Matter Movement Nominated For Nobel Peace Prize

The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement has been nominated for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize.

Norwegian MP Petter Eide nominated the movement, citing its global impact on the fight to end racial injustice.

PA

According to The Guardian, his nomination papers read: "I find that one of the key challenges we have seen in America, but also in Europe and Asia, is the kind of increasing conflict based on inequality.

"Black Lives Matter has become a very important worldwide movement to fight racial injustice.

"They have had a tremendous achievement in raising global awareness and consciousness about racial injustice."

He continued: "They have been able to mobilise people from all groups of society, not just African-Americans, not just oppressed people, it has been a broad movement, in a way which has been different from their predecessors."

Eide also defended BLM in light of claims it had been responsible for violence in the US, adding that his nomination was not meant as a political statement.

He said: "Studies have shown that most of the demonstrations organised by Black Lives Matter have been peaceful.

"Of course there have been incidents, but most of them have been caused by the activities of either the police or counter-protestors."

BLM was founded in 2013 by Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza, and Opal Tometi, following the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the killing of Trayvon Martin.

The movement grew massively last year following the killing of George Floyd.

BLM has also just won Sweden's Olof Palme human rights prize for 2020.

Eide's Nobel Peace Prize nomination concludes: "Awarding the peace prize to Black Lives Matter, as the strongest global force against racial injustice, will send a powerful message that peace is founded on equality, solidarity and human rights, and that all countries must respect those basic principles."

The winner of the prize will be announced in October, with the award ceremony scheduled for December.

Topics: Black Lives Matter, World News

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey