A participant in a Black Lives Matter protest has confessed to withdrawing funds from a fundraising campaign established before the toppling of Edward Colston's statue. Xahra Saleem, one of the organizers of a Bristol protest following the tragic death of George Floyd at the hands of US police, is at the center of this controversy.
It is alleged that surplus funds from the fundraising initiative were intended for a youth charity. Saleem, on the 19th of September, admitted to a single count of fraud during proceedings at Bristol Crown Court. Her sentencing is scheduled for the 31st of October at the same court.
The toppling of Edward Colston's statue in Bristol in 2020 occurred amid widespread anti-racism demonstrations across the UK.
Saleem, a 23-year-old resident of Romford, was a key figure among the organizers of All Black Lives Matter UK, the group responsible for orchestrating the protest on the 7th of March, 2020. Leading up to the event, Saleem launched a fundraising campaign to acquire personal protective equipment, a necessary measure due to the Covid-19 pandemic and legal requirements for the march.
An understanding was purportedly reached that any surplus funds generated would be directed towards Changing Your Mindset Ltd., a charity based in Bristol. In January, it was revealed in Bristol Magistrates Court that the fundraising effort had garnered a substantial sum, but Changing Your Mindset Ltd. never received the anticipated contributions.
Saleem faced additional charges in connection with a separate fundraising campaign initiated after the protest. This second campaign aimed to collect funds for the legal expenses of individuals facing charges related to the protest. Once again, it is alleged that these funds were not handed over.
During a subsequent case management hearing, Saleem pleaded guilty to a charge of fraud by abuse of position, relating to the defrauding of the charity Changing Your Mindset. The alleged offenses occurred in Tadpole Garden Village, Swindon, Wiltshire.
In another significant development, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has officially announced that Lucy Letby, the nurse previously convicted of murdering seven infants and attempting to murder six others at the Countess of Chester Hospital's neonatal unit in 2015 and 2016, will face a retrial. See detailed story here
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