When a group of Black Lives Matter protesters stormed the runway at London City Airport, they were met with endless Twitter mocking, memes and cynical articles. Many were quick to point out that all nine were not in fact black, and have been identified as middle-class, white activists appearing to hijack another group’s struggle.

The stunt has since encouraged the voices of those who view the Black Lives Matter UK movement as pointless to grow in confidence. However, what happened in East London does make one wonder what they were thinking. Their statement read: “in 2016 alone 3,176 migrants are known to have died or gone missing in the Mediterranean, fleeing conditions that they did not create because cheaper, easier, and most importantly, safer avenues have been blocked by the UK and other European countries. Black people are the first to die, not the first to fly.” Perhaps credibility could have been gained with the inclusion of actual black activists.

The intentions are honourable and the ideas sound, but a black woman interviewed by The Guardian was quick to provide her commentary alongside her husband: “Many issues always affect the poorest in society... But it has stopped two black lives going on holiday.”

It was a classic example of a movement being appropriated, taken out the hands of those whom it is for, and whom it should be leading. It is almost frustrating that many now hold the perception of Black Lives Matter UK as a joke and unnecessary when what it is trying to promote is valid.

This month is about being unapologetically black

Black Lives Matter as a movement has its origins in the United States, founded by three black community organisers Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi. It was started in response to the acquittal of police officer George Zimmerman of the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in 2012. Now a sustained narrative of countless black, often unarmed, individuals that have fallen victim to the police is no longer deemed surprising. It’s too frequent an occurrence of what should be tolerated and excused. Every execution on American streets uploaded to Facebook and YouTube is just another reminder of what Black Lives Matter hails as a long running epidemic of state violence and institutional racism.

Black Lives Matter UK has a right to exist as a movement in solidarity with its American sister. If black voices have the opportunity to speak for what they want, what they believe in and struggle against the limits society is upholding against them, how does that characterise the UK movement as obsolete? Black people might not be being shot on the streets to the degree they are in the United States, but the number of black individuals succeeding in Establishment careers or even top universities is still disproportionately less than it should be.

‘Black Lives Matter is a joke’ is a common refrain on the Twittersphere. Yet if there are some issues in the UK movement, a recent attendance at a Black Lives Matter event in Shoreditch revealed that most of those who spoke at the event were not black individuals speaking up or contributing the ideas when it should be. Collaboration is a valuable asset, and Black Lives Matter is stronger when those from all backgrounds come together to support it. However, what should not be perpetuated is what occurred in East London.

As stated on the Black Lives Matter website, “Please do not change the conversation by talking about how your life matters too. It does, but we need less watered down unity and more active solidarities with us, Black people, unwaveringly, in defence of our humanity.