A Black Lives Matter protest is taking place in Macclesfield town centre today (5 June) where participants will 'take the knee' in a show of solidarity with protestors in the US and to highlight racial injustices closer to home.

The event outside the town hall at 6pm may attract a large crowd as more than 200 people are marked as 'going' on the event Facebook page with more than 300 saying they're 'interested'.

The death of George Floyd in Minneapolis while in police custody last month has sparked protests across the US and throughout the world. Wilmslow held its own demonstration on Wednesday.

The event has been organised by Eliza Beresford and Tegan Gray. Eliza told Macclesfield Nub News why she thought it was important to hold a demonstration in the town.

"I went to the event in Wilmslow and what spurred me on to create the event today was the excessive amount of ignorant comments under a video of the kneeling at Wilmslow from some white people of a certain age. It's clear that these conversations just aren't happening, especially when the towns are predominantly white," Eliza said.

As a white person herself, Eliza thinks it's important for people to educate themselves on the racism that occurs in this country, arguing that black issues in are not touched on enough within the school curriculum or the national conversation.

She said: "We know with our black friends that are from Macclesfield that racism is a major issue in the town. We thought it might be nice as two white girls to use the privilege that we have to create something like the event we're having today.

"I'm hoping we get some momentum with the number of people that attend today and set up different events to attract black people and people of colour to come out and speak their truth and to their experiences. I just hope the conversation stays alive."

As well as the symbolic kneel, today's event will also feature speeches from members of the local BAME community.

Demonstrations in London have attracted some criticism for the lack of social distancing as the country continues to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.

Local organisers have stressed the need for social distancing and have requested that all attendees wear a mask or face covering to reduce the coronavirus risk.

"I've seen non-stop footage of people crowding beaches, leaving them littered; so if we're going to break these guidelines like other have done, let's do it for the right reasons," Eliza said.

She added: "We are still in a pandemic and we do need to protect ourselves, so we are urging everyone to wear masks or face coverings. We do have elderly and high-risk people attending and we want to keep that risk as low as possible."

Superintendent Richard Rees, of Cheshire police, said: "Where there are plans for any mass gatherings, Cheshire Constabulary will ensure proportionate and consistent policing plans are put in place, where required.

"The rights to protest are well established in this country; however personal responsibility is now key. We would urge people to ensure they are fully aware of the legislation before they attend and take every precaution to keep themselves and others safe.

"We will continue to use our 4E approach of engaging, explaining, encouraging and only enforcing as a last resort. I'd like to take the opportunity to remind people we cannot enforce social distancing and are relying on your good nature to remember to keep two metres apart.

"Keep in mind the purpose of the regulations and the national effort to protect the NHS and save lives."

For updates and more information, visit the event page on Facebook.