People who spent Stephen Lawrence Day calling for a Lee Rigby Day are completely missing the point

A group of people have taken to social media on the first ever Stephen Lawrence Day to argue that there should be a Lee Rigby Day, thereby totally missing the point of the day of commemoration.

Yesterday, the UK held the first ever Stephen Lawrence Day, which marks the date in 1993 that 18-year-old Stephen Lawrence was brutally murdered in a vicious racist attack as he waited for a bus in South East London.

Speaking about the event, his parents have said that they want the day to inspire young people to reject violence and racism, amid record fatal stabbings in England and Wales.

His mother, Baroness Lawrence, used the day to call on schools to do more to tackle racism from a young age. Speaking to the press, she said:

If we are to encourage future generations to build a better society, free from discrimination, I believe that we must teach tolerance and inclusion from an early age.

Education is a powerful way of inspiring young people, and I would like to see British schools put the values of respect and fairness at the heart of the curriculum. 

His bereaved father, Neville Lawrence, said:

I wish a day in my son's memory was for more joyful reasons, but I am pleased and very proud that there is Stephen Lawrence day so people will always remember him and the tragedy of his death.

With the level of violence on our streets at the moment I hope that Stephen's day will be used to talk about peace as well as to remember Stephen's life, which was cut too short. 

Stephen Lawrence's killing was described by Theresa May as a 'watershed moment for our country', reports the BBC. The ensuing police investigation into the murder is also seen as a turning point after The Macpherson Report into it found 'institutional racism' in the police.

Two decades after the publication of the report, the Metropolitan Police said the murder had been a 'catalyst for significant, positive changes to the way we police', reports theBBC.

Therefore, it goes without saying that a group of social media users who attempted to hijack the day in order to use it as a platform to argue for a Lee Rigby Day completely missed the point. Stephen Lawrence Day is there to fight against racism and racial hatred in the United Kingdom.

On May 22 2013, Fusilier Lee Rigby of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, was attacked and killed by Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale near the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich, South East London.

Lee Rigby was the victim of a horrific murder, however, it wasn't a racist attack, it was a politically motivated attack.

Many people took to Twitter to use the opportunity to call for a Lee Rigby Day.

Katie Hopkins led the calls for the day of remembrance.

Some wondered if Lee Rigby would have approved of his name being co-opted in that manner.

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