Thousands Of Activists Join Black Lives Matter Protests In London & Manchester

Thousands of activists have taken part in anti-racism protests in London and Manchester this weekend in a show of solidarity with Black Lives Matter demonstrations in the US.

Nightly protests have been taking place in many American cities this week after George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, was killed in the street in Minneapolis when a white police officer held his knee on Floyd's neck for eight minutes, cutting off his oxygen.

In widely shared video footage, Floyd can be heard repeatedly saying, “I can’t breathe,” as the officer continues to put physical pressure on him. The white officer, 44-year-old Derek Chauvin, who has previously faced at least 17 misconduct complaints during his policing career, has been charged with third-degree murder.

On Sunday, protestors in London marched from Trafalgar Square and the Houses of Parliament to the US embassy in Vauxhall, holding up placards saying "Justice for George Floyd" and "I can't breathe".

Others held up signs saying "the UK isn't innocent" and "racism is a global issue" to draw attention to black lives tragically lost in the UK because of systemic racism.

Footage shared on Twitter shows activists in Trafalgar Square taking the knee as they delivered chants of "no justice, no peace". Protestors also led chants of "say my name, George Floyd" in his honour.

One activist who shared footage from the central London protest said participants were following social distancing guidelines "as much as possible".

Other Black Lives Matter protests took place in London on Saturday, both outside the US embassy in Vauxhall and in Peckham. In Manchester, a large group of Black Lives Matter activists gathered in St Peter's Square in the city centre on Sunday.

The UK protests are part of a global wave of Black Lives Matter demonstrations sparked by Floyd's death. Activists have also gathered this weekend in cities including Berlin, Copenhagen and Hong Kong, The Guardian reports.