The thousands of protesters who took to the streets in support of the Black Lives Matter movement was “a powerful moment”, the Premier said last night.

David Burt promised legislation to tackle racial inequalities in employment and the island’s criminal justice system over this session of Parliament.

Mr Burt said last Sunday’s rally, which attracted more than 7,000 people and was organised by Black Lives Bermuda, showed that people wanted “justice and elimination of racism in Bermuda”.

Mr Burt added: “It is clear that the events in the United States have affected many, and I am pleased that the Government changed the laws so that a legal and peaceful protest could take place.”

Mr Burt said: “Racism in Bermuda isn’t new and racist attitudes still persist in Bermuda.

“Police brutality in Bermuda is not new, either, and neither are police who may have racist views.”

Mr Burt highlighted that pay gaps still existed between black and white people doing the same job.

He added: “Bermuda’s justice system is not colour-blind. We have to make sure that we continue the reforms to our justice system so that the differing treatment of black persons versus white persons inside of the criminal justice system is no longer there.”

Mr Burt said that inequality in the legal system had led the Government to decriminalise cannabis possession of seven grams or less in 2019 because the law had disproportionately affected black men.

He highlighted that black men were penalised with 95 per cent of convictions for cannabis — although statistics for usage of the drug were similar across races.

He repeated his call at the Friday sitting of the House of Assembly for the energy from the Black Lives Matter movement to continue and for legislation that would “dismantle laws, practices and policies of systemic racism that negatively impact black people”.

Mr Burt said: “They will be met with the same energy for real change and equity that we saw on display this weekend.”

He also praised the crowds at the demonstrations for wearing masks and sticking to social-distancing.

Mr Burt said the public had been asked in April to submit their views on laws that should be updated and for new legislation.

He added that Lovitta Foggo, the community affairs and sport minister, would “soon issue a statement” to announce the resumption of the Bermuda race relations discussion, launched last December.

Mr Burt said: “If we are going to march about Black Lives Matter, then we have to make sure we are prepared to legislate to ensure that black lives matter”.

Mr Burt said in a statement sent to The Royal Gazette yesterday that the death on May 25 of George Floyd, a black man who died after he arrested by a group of police officers in Minnesota, had provided “an ironic catalyst of consciousness around the world”.

Mr Burt said police officer Derek Chauvin’s knee on Mr Floyd’s neck symbolised “the systemic and institutionalised racism that has served to limit justice and equity for people of colour wherever people are now marching and certainly here at home”.

Mr Chauvin has since been charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

Three other officers involved in the arrest were charged with aiding and abetting.

All four have been fired. Mr Burt said the past two weeks of global outrage “must serve as the call to action required to stop this system in its tracks”.

Mr Burt added: “Black lives are impacted by unfair hiring practices. Black lives are diminished by unequal access to healthcare.

“Black dreams are killed by inequitable access to capital and black lives are slowly drained by the targeting of young black men, in particular, by the criminal justice system.”

He said: “Before the House rises in July, we will test the truth of the cries of ‘Black Lives Matter’ with legislation that will reverse the adverse impact of these systemic injustices in the area of employment and criminal justice.”