BLM was set up in 2012 after George Zimmerman was acquitted of the murder of 17-year old Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida, and to fight for what is says is the "virulent anti-black racism that permeates" American society.Palestinian activists famously used social media to give Black Lives Matter activists tips on how to deal with the inhalation of tear gas, after the police violently cracked down on protests in 2014 that erupted in Ferguson, Missouri following the death by the police of an unarmed black teenager, Michael Brown. Activists aligned with Black Lives Matter have also frequently visited the occupied West Bank as part of “solidarity tours” aimed at learning about the situation on the ground.Prominent Black artists and actors, including Danny Glover and Lauryn Hill, released a video last year to highlight the connection between African-Americans and Palestinians living under occupation, following the Israeli assault on Gaza in 2014 that coincided with the protests in Ferguson, Missouri. Under the moniker "Black-Palestinian solidarity", the group said it was founded "in the course of resilience against the merciless edge of state-violence, protesters in Ferguson held up signs declaring solidarity with the people of Palestine".Numerous solidarity protests have also been held in London following the recent outburst of protests against police and state violence towards blacks in the US.Activists this morning shut down routes to key transport hubs in Britain, including London's Heathrow airport and a motorway in Birmingham, in protest at deaths in police custody and the deaths of black asylum seekers in immigration detention centres.