A NORTHWICH woman is ‘disgusted’ but unsurprised by a ‘White Lives Matter’ sign that she found, and has turned it into a dog mess post.

Nici Brown, who has lived in the area all of her life, found the sign on the bridge crossing the bypass at the end of Chester Road, Hartford.

It had been screwed to the metal railing.

“When I first saw the sign driving down the bypass I was disgusted but at the same time not surprised to see something like this in Northwich,” she said.

“It’s incredibly frustrating. Just as you think we’ve taken steps forward in society you see evidence like this that means some of us are still taking steps back.

"It’s also frustrating to see a lack of understanding as to why 'White Lives Matter' and 'All Lives Matter' are offensive to people of colour and the BLM movement.

“It’s about understanding that people of colour do not have the privilege and rights that white people have. Not that white or all lives don’t matter, that people of colour have been treated like they don’t and it has to stop.”

Nici, owner of Hartford Hounds, added that she will continue to take down signs and make them into dog mess posts if she needs to.

 

The full sign that Nici found

The full sign that Nici found

“Behaviour like this has to be challenged by white people. I can’t do anything about the atrocities that people of colour have experienced in the past.

"However, I can do whatever I can to change things for the future. So if that includes ripping down signs and making them into dog mess posts then that’s what I’ll do.

“I’m a dog walker by trade and I like creative pursuits when I’m not working, so pretty much 95 per cent of my thoughts when I come across material are what can I do for the dogs?

"Can the dogs get involved in this? Can this be used by the dogs? And then I thought about the level of effort that went into making that sign,” Nici, 34, who grew up in Hartford, continued.

“It wasn’t just an old pillowcase that someone had used a spray can on like it was some dare.

"It was well put together, painted, and mounted using tools. That’s a lot of hate to put into something. So then I thought – if I were that person, what would annoy me the most? And then the idea just popped into my head.”