Vote of Thanks
PEACEMAKERS Chief Reverend Dr Dawnecia Palmer wish to thank Avon and Somerset Police Constabulary Superintendent,
Mark Runacres, Bristol Commander, and his team of dedicated Officers, for their presence, strength of courage, protection and reassurance of safety to the city, as people feared, prepared, and planned for a possible repeat of last weekend’s protests and violence.
Protesters
There had been rumours in circulation via social media that on Wednesday 7th August right-wing protesters would launch attacks on Immigration Centres in varioys cities across the UK. An immigration centre that helps refugees in Old Market, Bristol was also named on the list. This brought about fear and concerns within certain groups and communities. Anti-racism groups and organisations quickly organised for a counter protest to take place an hour before the protest.
Businesses boarded up their windows, and residents were warned not to get involved in violence, whilst women and children advised to stay in their homes.
Patrols
Earlier in the day, PEACEMAKERS Prayer City Safety Patrols went door to door, they engaged with residents, passerbys, businesses, and bus drivers, along Old Market and Stapleton Road, advising, listening, reassuring, and praying.
Policing
There were hundreds of police officers stationed in the city, and in and around Old Market, Easton. They had enhanced stop and search powers under Section 60 and Section 60AA of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act.
The Prayer
The Patrolers deployed ‘strategic deliverance prayer’ for a baptism of the spirit of peace to cover the city and other parts of UK, to deter racial hatred, violence, and for ‘a no-show’ of right-wing protesters.
No Show
Thankfully, in Bristol as in other parts of the country, the right-wing protesters did not show up. Instead, over a thousand individuals made up of residents, and groups from various communities, coming from across the city, they gathered on the street and pavements in Old Market in solidarity, for fairness and justice for asylum seekers, and all peoples.
SPECIAL THANKS: to
☆God for hearing and answering prayers for peace
☆PEACEMAKERS prayer city safety patrols
☆Organisers for maintaining a peaceful counter-protest gathering in Old Market
☆Journalists and media
Community, Businesses and residents
☆P4E, Empress Nwanye, PT Wales, and Everyone else who prayed and stood for peace
☆Final Thanks with a twist: the right-wing protest did not take place!
Dawnecia Palmer and other Patrol members are expected to meet outside City Hall on College Green at 3pm to pray prayers of peace, for healing and redemption for the city, in light of the disruptive breakout of violence both on the Green and at Castle Park over the weekend of 3rd/4th August, during protest demonstration held in these two places, as well as across the UK.
PEACEMAKERS believe prayers can and does make a diffrence – and to quote its Commissioner – ‘if even to create a dent.‘ She Invites anyone who believes in prayer, believes that prayer can make a ‘good’ difference, wishes to see an end to violence in our city, and long for safety on our streets and home, to come along to pray.
