Burna Boy leads #EndSARS protest in London

While the musician, like many of his musician colleagues, has been vocal on social media about reports of police violence in Nigeria, the London demonstration – the second in about two weeks – was occasioned by widely documented shootings of peaceful protesters by state security personnel around the country, most recently in the Lekki Toll Gate area in Lagos on Tuesday. 

The Lekki Toll Gate shooting, which was livestreamed on Instagram by musician DJ Switch, has been widely condemned by Nigerians and the international community. UN secretary-general António Guterres urged “security forces to act at all times with maximum restraint” and called on protesters “to demonstrate peacefully and to refrain from violence.” Former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo, former American vice-president Joe Biden and former US secretary of state Hilary Clinton, as well as global celebrities including pop stars Beyoncé and Rihanna, have also issued statements in solidarity with the protesters. 

Addressing the rally, Burna Boy said the protests had been largely peaceful, a statement that raises questions about the harsh crackdown on protesters. He charged young people in Nigeria to remain focused on their demands for police and governance reforms. “We are the new generation, relentless and tireless. If this change must come, we must be ready not to lose focus and go the long haul,” he said.

“As Nigerians who have decided that enough is enough to bad government, police impunity and general uselessness, we protested against this escalating violence from SARS, primarily peacefully. Protests were peaceful for almost two weeks. With no political backing, no ulterior motives, no clear leader, the youth of my country came together in different states of Nigeria to protest peacefully, investing their skills, time and money and bracing all odds just to say that we’ve had enough.”

Burna Boy added that “#EndSARS is no longer enough,” before leading the demonstrators on a chant of “no justice, no peace.” 

Speaking to the BBC, Afrobeats DJ Adesope Olajide underscored the symbolism of the London protest, stressing that it was in “solidarity with the movement in Nigeria” and to raise awareness for the cause internationally. Olajide also noted the role of social media in sensitising the international community about ongoing police brutality in Nigeria.

On 11 October, President Muhammadu Buhari announced the disbandment of SARS, but the move, together with the establishment of a new Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit to replace the federal squad, has not appeased the protesters. This is the fourth time in five years that SARS has been disbanded.

The #EndSARS hashtag has in the past few days also morphed into a wider social movement against myriad of issues including demands for better economic opportunities and accountable governance. Last week, Burna Boy launched Project Protect, a relief fund for Nigerian victims of police brutality.