Thousands of Black Lives Matter activists march on Downing Street and US embassy in London
Police arrest 23 people after ‘assault on officers’ as thousands of Black Lives Matter activists marched on US embassy in London and crowds gathered peacefully around UK demanding ‘justice’ for George Floyd killed by cops 4,000 miles away in US
- Chants of, ‘I can’t breathe,’ rebounded across the Thames this afternoon, the words George Floyd was heard gasping before his death as a white police officer knelt on his neck in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Monday
- Thousands had earlier gathered at Trafalgar Square before making their way to the gates of Downing Street and then south of the river towards the US Embassy
- Meanwhile outside Cardiff Castle in Wales protesters were seen holding placards saying, ‘The UK isn’t innocent,’ and in Manchester hundreds were chanting in St. Peter’s Square
- They have defied the ban on mass gatherings due to coronavirus to show their solidarity with US citizens
- Dozens of US cities have been set ablaze over the last week amid deadly clashes with police officers over the killing of Floyd, whose death is seen as a symbol of systemic police brutality against African-Americans
- Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19
By Ross Ibbetson For Mailonline
Published: 08:33 EDT, 31 May 2020 | Updated: 20:31 EDT, 31 May 2020
Twent three people were arrested in London today as thousands of Black Lives Matter protesters peacefully marched on the US Embassy in London, with hundreds more taking to the streets of Cardiff and Manchester, to demonstrate against the killing of George Floyd.
Chants of, ‘I can’t breathe,’ rebounded across the Thames this afternoon, the words Floyd was heard gasping before his death as a white police officer knelt on his neck in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Monday.
They defied the ban on mass gatherings to rally at Trafalgar Square before making their way to the gates of Downing Street and then south of the river towards the US Embassy.
Three people were arrested for breaching coronavirus legislation, said police, while two others were detained for assaulting officers. The other arrests were for a range of offences from possession of an offensive weapon to assault on police, obstructing a public carriageway to breaches of COVID legislation.
In a tweet, the Metropolitan Police said: ‘The total number of arrests following gatherings in central London today is now 23, all for various offences. They remain in police custody.’
Witnesses reported seeing scuffles break out between police and protesters despite a mainly peaceful day of demonstrations. One group of officers were seen tackling protesters on Kensington High Street, with reports some activists threw traffic cones at police.
The capital wasn’t the only site of protests, with activists outside Cardiff Castle in Wales holding placards which said, ‘The UK is not innocent,’ and in Manchester hundreds flocked to show their solidarity in St. Peter’s Square.
Among those chanting at police officers guarding the gates of Number 10 was someone waving the black and red flag of Antifa (anti-fascist). Donald Trump has accused the militant left-wingers of fomenting anarchist violence during the riots in the States.
Dozens of American cities have been set ablaze over the last week amid deadly clashes with police officers over the killing of Floyd, whose death is seen as a symbol of systemic police brutality against African-Americans.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab today appealed for the US not to ‘tear itself apart’ and said that the Floyd case was ‘very distressing’.
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US EMBASSY, LONDON, ENGLAND: Demonstrators block the road as they gather outside the US Embassy to protest the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died after a police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes during an arrest in Minneapolis, USA
TRAFALGAR SQUARE, LONDON, ENGLAND: Hundreds of demonstrators were packed into Trafalgar Square on Sunday, chanting ‘I can’t breathe,’ the words Floyd was heard gasping as a white police officer knelt on his neck in Minneapolis
US EMBASSY, LONDON, ENGLAND: A man wearing a protective face mask kneels in front of police officers during a protest against the death in Minneapolis police custody of African-American man George Floyd near the U.S. Embassy
DOWNING STREET, LONDON, ENGLAND: Armed police officers guard the gates of Downing Street where hundreds of protesters were seen holding placards, as well as an Antifa (anti-fascist) flag
Protesters react as a woman screams in pain as she is arrested and led off by police near the US embassy in London on Sunday
Demonstrators gather in front of the US Embassy in London, protesting the police killing of George Floyd in America
eople carrying banners gather during a protest over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died after being pinned down by a white police officer in USA
Police officers struggle against protesters on Kensington High Street as violent scenes mar the mostly peaceful demonstrations in the capital today
Police officers were battered with traffic cones during today’s protests in London, with 11 activists arrested in total across the capital
CARDIFF, WALES: Protesters outside Cardiff Castle in Wales today to show solidarity with the demonstrators in the United States
Protesters gather in Manchester today to demonstrate against the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Monday
Police officers remove two protesters they handcuffed from outside the U.S. embassy after people marched there from Trafalgar Square in central London
A woman is led away by police during a Black Lives Matter protest outside the US Embassy in London
People carrying banners gather during a protest over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died after being pinned down by a white police officer
The protest started gathering at the Trafalgar Square and marched through US Embassy in Vauxhall and 10 Downing Street
US EMBASSY, LONDON, ENGLAND: Demonstrators hold up placards as they march towards the US Embassy in central London
CARDIFF, WALES: Black Lives Matter protesters outside Cardiff Castle in Wales on Sunday in solidarity with other protests around the world
Police officers block a road close to the Embassy of the United States of America as people join in a spontaneous Black Lives Matter march through central London
Supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement gather to protest against police brutality in USA and in memory of George Floyd in London
US EMBASSY, LONDON, ENGLAND: Demonstrators with masks covering their faces stand-off with police officers outside the US Embassy in Vauxhall on Sunday
People hold placards as they join a spontaneous Black Lives Matter march at Trafalgar Square to protest the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis
People carrying banners gather during a protest over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died after being pinned down by a white police officer in USA
People carrying banners gather during a protest in London over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man killed by a white police officer in the US. These protesters are also holding up a sign for Belly Mujinga, a British transport worker who died of coronavirus after allegedly being spat at
The death of an African-American man, George Floyd, at the hands of police in Minneapolis has sparked violent protests across the USA, with demonstrations also now breaking out in the UK
Supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement with a placard reading ‘Pro-Black isn’t Anti-White’ gather outside the US Embassy
Police officers block a road close to the Embassy of the United States of America as people holding placards join in a spontaneous Black Lives Matter march through central London
People hold placards as they join a spontaneous Black Lives Matter march through central London to protest the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis
Demonstrators stand on top of a bus shelter they march near the US Embassy in central London to protest the death of George Floyd
Supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement gather to protest against the Police brutality in USA and in memory of George Floyd in London
Police officers block a road close to the Embassy of the United States of America as people holding placards join in a spontaneous Black Lives Matter march
But he insisted he would not comment on the backlash against Donald Trump’s response to a wave of furious protests across the US, merely saying he wanted the country to ‘come back together.’
Having spent the last few months in coronavirus lockdown, very few of the attendees at the protests across the UK appeared to be concerned about social distancing.
One demonstrator said the protests were ‘very important because it is sending a clear message that we have had enough racial injustice in our country’.
Raab appeals for US not to ‘tear itself apart’ over ‘distressing’ Floyd case
Asked about Donald Trump’s response, Dominic Raab told Sky: ‘I’m not going to start commenting on the commentary or indeed the press statements that other world leaders make, or indeed the US president.
‘Footage of what happened to George Floyd was very distressing, as has been the scenes across America of the rioting and some of the violence.
‘And what we do know is that the lead suspect has now been charged with murder, there is a federal review and we want to see de-escalation of all of those tensions and American come together.’
Later he told the BBC: ‘I’ve long kept to the self-imposed guidance not to comment on what President Trump says or indeed other world leaders, it is not really what my job is.’
Mr Raab said he wanted to see the US ‘come back together not tear itself apart over this, and of course that is a very distressing and upsetting case’.
Isabelle Orsini, 20, is originally from New York, but now lives in Kensington. She said: ‘The US obviously has a much deeper and darker history of black discrimination compared to the UK.
‘The reason people are so angry is because this is reopening wounds that go back hundreds of years.
‘It is very important that we do whatever it takes to tell our government that racism will not be tolerated.’
After Battersea, protesters – many wearing masks – crossed the river again, and headed through affluent Chelsea, Knightsbridge and Notting Hill, before gathering at the base of Grenfell Tower where 72 people died in a 2017 fire.
A reverend at a church on Trafalgar Square, where the protest started, said she was ‘very sympathetic’ towards those marching but expressed some concern about how close they were.
Reverend Sally Hitchiner, associate vicar at St Martin-in-the-Fields, said: ‘It’s showing there are people in the UK who care passionately about the situation in the US.
‘Clearly they’re not following lockdown and social distancing, but I think there’s a huge amount of passion there and that’s overriding their concerns.
‘It’s an issue that requires passion but at the same time there’s a huge amount of risk in what they’re doing.’
The London demonstration comes after tens of thousands of people joined nightly protests across the US since the death, with at least 1,600 people arrested in 22 cities as some demonstrations descended into violence.
BLM have said of their protest in London: ‘We are doing this to place pressure on the American government and show that this is a world wide issue.’
BLM protests were also taking place at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, and at the US Embassy in Denmark’s capital, Copenhagen.
After the crowd marched on from the US Embassy, a large number of them stopped under a railway bridge outside Battersea Park Station and chanted ‘black lives matter’.
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: A New York City Police Department vehicle burns after being set alight by protesters
A man is taken away by police officers during a protest against the death in Minneapolis police custody of African-American man George Floyd in front of the U.S. Embassy, London, Britain
People are led away by police officers during a protest against the death in Minneapolis police custody of African-American man George Floyd in front of the U.S. Embassy, London
Supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement gather at the US Embassy to protest against the Police brutality in USA
Demonstrators carry placards with slogans as they march in the road outside the US Embassy in London to protest the death of George Floyd
Demonstrators shout slogans as they march in the road outside the US Embassy in London on Sunday
Demonstrators block the road as they gather outside the US Embassy in London on Sunday in solidarity with demonstrators in the United States
US EMBASSY, LONDON, ENGLAND: A woman holds a banner which reads: ‘End white supremacy, white silence kills,’ as people flout the ban on mass gatherings to protest the killing of George Floyd
Black Lives Matter protesters outside the US Embassy in Vauxhall, London, holding signs including, ‘The United Kingdom is not innocent,’ and ‘Your justice is my justice’
Protesters outside the US Embassy in Vauxhall stand between blocked cars and buses on Sunday during the Black Lives Matter demonstration
Black Lives Matter demonstrators make obscene gestures as they march outside the US Embassy in London on Sunday afternoon
People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest outside the US Embassy in London. The protest follows the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, US, this week which has seen a police officer charged with third-degree murder
People holds signs during a protest against the death in Minneapolis police custody of African-American man George Floyd, in Trafalgar Square, London, Britain
People holds signs during a protest against the death in Minneapolis police custody of African-American man George Floyd
Men holds signs during a protest against the death in Minneapolis police custody of African-American man George Floyd, in Trafalgar Square
People take part in a Black Lives Matter protest outside the US Embassy in London. The protest follows the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, US, this week which has seen a police officer charged with third-degree murder
Four men climbed on top of a bus stop and encouraged the crowd in their chants, before getting down on one knee in silence, leading the gathered crowd to do the same.
Earlier a group of around 20 police officers were met with chants of ‘I can’t breathe’ and ‘no justice, no peace, no racist police’ when the demonstrators stopped on the corner of Ebury Bridge Road.
The march moved past Chelsea Barracks buildings. Construction hoarding around the outside of a building site has been daubed with graffiti. The text on the hoardings, ‘A Heritage A Destiny A Legacy,’ has been sprayed underneath with ‘Don’t Black People Deserve This’ written in red.
It comes after protests by BLM in southeast London yesterday, with hundreds marching through the streets of Peckham to demand justice.
Buses and cars were forced to a standstill with groups shouting ‘no justice, no peace’ and ‘stop killing the mandem.’
Further protests are planned by the BLM movement in Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff and Glasgow, as well as the US Embassy in London.
Footage of another protest in North London on Saturday showed a smaller group of demonstrators marching and carrying a banner reading ‘abolish the police’.
Most of those attending both protests were seen standing closer together than the two-metre recommended to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Many could also be seen without face masks.
BERLIN, GERMANY: A woman holds a megaphone during a protest against the death in Minneapolis police custody of African-American man George Floyd, at the Brandenburg Gate
COPENHAGEN, DENMARK: Hundreds of protesters in the Danish capital on Sunday to protest the killing of George Floyd
Protesters holding signs telling people to ‘stay woke’
Crowds of Londoners standing just feet apart amid the pandemic as they protest the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Two women at the BLM demonstration in Trafalgar Square, central London, on Sunday
A woman with a young child attending a protest over the death of an African-American in police custody
A woman holds a sign saying: ‘Who police the police?’
A protester holding a sign with names of those who have died in police custody or while being arrested, or as a result of alleged racial profiling, in the US in Trafalgar Square, London
A demonstrator holds up a sign with an optimistic reminder for people to socially distance during a Black Lives Matter protest outside the US Embassy in London
Police officers are seen behind people during a protest against the death in Minneapolis police custody of African-American man George Floyd in front of the U.S. Embassy in London on Sunday
Thousands gathered in central London and marched to the US Embassy to protest the death of an unarmed black man in Minneapolis while in police custody that has sparked days of unrest in the US city and beyond
Demonstrators carry placards with slogans as they march in the road outside the US Embassy in London today
Last night destruction continued to spread across the United States amid continued outrage at what many believe is a systemic problem of police brutality against African-Americans.
In Minneapolis, protesters were seen fleeing after cops hurled tear gas into the crowds while some responded by launching fireworks back at officers.
The National Guard was activated to defend the White House from attack as the Secret Service agents on the ground struggled to keep control of crowds descending on the seat of the US government.
The Big Apple was ablaze as NYPD vehicles were torched and ransacked while shocking footage emerged of cops violently detaining protesters.
A man was left critically injured in Dallas when he was attacked and stomped on by a group of people when he allegedly tried to defend a store with a large sword.
Black Lives Matter Protesters marching on Whitehall on Sunday
Black Lives Matter protesters marching through central Manchester on Sunday in solidarity with the demonstrators in the US
A woman holds a sign saying ‘Black Lives Matter’ during a protest outside Cardiff Castle in response to the death of George Floyd on May 31, 2020, in Cardiff, Wales
Black Lives Matter protester marching on Whitehall, London, on Sunday
BERLIN, GERMANY: Supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement hold placards and banners to protest against the police brutality in the US following the death of George Floyd
COPENHAGEN, DENMARK: Supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement protest in front of the US Embassy
A woman speaks into a megaphone while holding a sign which says ‘black lives matter’ during a protest outside Cardiff Castle
Crowds in Manchester today during the Black Lives Matter protest, as thousands of demonstrators turned out across the UK
A woman wearing a Malcolm X t-shirt holds a sign which reads: ‘Justice 4 George.’ One of many who gathered outside Cardiff Castle on Sunday
In Atlanta a cop suffered ‘significant injuries’ when they were hit by an ATV, while in Chicago, a man commandeered a police horse and rode off on it.
Los Angeles deployed the National Guard for the first since the 1992 riots when the police officers who beat up black man Rodney King walked free of all charges and California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in LA County.
A total of 11 states and the District of Columbia had activated the National Guard by the early hours of Sunday, as law enforcement buckled under the strain of the protests.
In Peckham, London, buses and cars were forced to a standstill on Saturday afternoon when hundreds of Black Lives Matter protesters furious at the Floyd’s slaying marched along the main road
Yesterday’s protests in Peckham (pictured) and North London were a precursor to a series of demonstrations planned for the next week across Britain by the BLM movement
States calling for Guard assistance included California, Georgia, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Washington state.
Meanwhile at least 25 cities roll out emergency curfews to try to bring rioting and looting under control, including San Francisco, Atlanta, Louisville, Los Angeles, Portland, Columbia, South Carolina, Cincinnati, Cleveland and Seattle.
Donald Trump has put the Army on notice to deploy to the streets with a four-hour notice – the first time this will have been done in almost 20 years during the 1992 LA riots over the beating of black man Rodney King by cops.
Minnesota – where Floyd died – has borne the brunt of the protests which began there Tuesday before fanning out across the country.
The killings reignited tensions between law enforcement and the black community in the US causing unrest across the country
WASHINGTON, DC: A firecracker thrown by protesters explodes under police one block from the White House on Saturday night
Chicago: A Chicago police vehicle is set on fire during violent protests and bricks are hurled at it
Minneapolis: Tear gas and fireworks go off in the streets Saturday night on day five of protests over Floyd’s death
Rioting was still going on in the early hours of Sunday, with the Minneapolis police department reporting a big group of protesters on foot and in vehicles throwing missiles of some sort at cops.
Minnesota Dept of Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell announced early Sunday there had been ‘dozens’ of arrests through the night but no ‘substantive’ injuries.
The Minnesota National Guard announced at around 10.30pm it was sending 10,800 troops in to tackle protests Saturday night, as pleas for people to observe curfews fell on deaf ears.
The Minnesota National Guard said on Twitter it already had more than 4,100 citizen-soldiers and airmen already in the twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul and was ramping it up to a staggering 10,800.
Washington DC: The National Guard was activated to defend the White House from attack as the Secret Service agents on the ground struggled to keep control of crowds descending on the seat of the US government
New York: NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio and President Trump clashed Saturday night over New York’s response to the escalating crisis there
There were just 700 on duty on Friday.
State police officers were seen in their masses surrounding the fifth police precinct Saturday night after officials insisted that the city would be brought under control following four nights of widespread destruction including a suspected looter being shot dead, businesses being burned to the ground and police officers forced to flee for their lives when a police precinct was stormed and torched.
The city was filled with smoke Saturday as protesters let off fireworks and set fires.
Hundreds of protesters had gathered outside the fifth precinct and were driven out by state cops using tear gas and firing rubber bullets.
New York: NYPD officers are poised with their batons after Trump praised their response – despite footage showing mutlipel scenes where cops manhandled protesters violently Friday
New York: A vehicle burns near New York’s Union Square Saturday night
Washington DC: Demonstrators gesture next to a fire during a rally near the White House
Washington DC: The seat of the government was under threat from protesters leading to the National Guard being activated in Washington DC
Washington DC: A firework is hurled by a protester and explodes by a police line
Footage showed protesters had retreated while the officers increased their circle around the vicinity – defending the police station for fear it will be stormed and torched like the third precinct was Thursday.
People marching from Minneapolis to St. Paul were also met with tear gas from officers stopping them in their tracks and sending masses fleeing from the potent chemical.
This comes as Governor Tim Walz has warned that a renewed spike in coronavirus cases could hit residents as protests have seen thousands take to the streets, while he admitted that the state’s jails cannot contain the number of people being taken into custody.
