One of the organizers of the Black Lives Matter demonstration that saw the toppling of Edward Colston’s statue has been charged with fraud over a fundraiser linked to the protest movement.
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Xahra Saleem, 22, will appear before magistrates in Bristol in January charged with two counts of fraud by abuse of a position of trust after an investigation into a fundraising page attached to the BLM movement.
It follows a lengthy fraud investigation by Avon and Somerset Police which looked into money that allegedly went missing from a crowdfunder initially set up for the demo on June 7 in 2020. The money allegedly went missing from the GoFundMe page called BristBLM for Changing Your Mindset, which was a St Pauls-based youth group.
The second count relates to a crowdfunder page, called Bristol Protestors Legal Fees, which raised money for people facing criminal proceedings in relation to protests in the city.
In a statement provided to Bristol World, an Avon and Somerset Police spokesman said: “A woman is due in court at the start of next year after the Crown Prosecution Service authorised charges following a fraud investigation.
“Xahra Saleem, 22 and from East London, has been charged with two counts of fraud by abuse of position. She is due before Bristol Magistrates Court on Tuesday 3 January 2023.”
