Protesters, footballers worldwide show solidarity, demand justice for George Floyd

Issued on: 31/05/2020 – 22:14Modified: 31/05/2020 – 22:13

Protesters took the streets in a number of cities, including London and Copenhagen, while footballers in Germany displayed their solidarity with anti-racism demonstrations in the US over the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in Minneapolis after a white police officer pressed his knee on his neck.

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Thousands gathered in London on Sunday in a display of solidarity and support for US anti-racism demonstrators. The protesters knelt in central Londons Trafalgar Square chanting, "No justice! No peace!" and waving placards with the words “How many more?” Police didn't stop them.

Ignoring the UK governments rules banning crowds due to the Covid-19 pandemic, they marched past the Houses of Parliament before arriving outside the US Embassy, where a long line of police officers surrounded the building. Several hundred milled around in the street and waved placards.

The Metropolitan police said they made five arrests outside the US Embassy, three for violations of the coronavirus lockdown guidelines and two for assault on police.

Protesters in London, Britain, May 31, 2020 REUTERS – JOHN SIBLEY

Stop killing black people

Protesters in Denmark also converged on the US Embassy on Sunday. Participants carried placards with messages such as “Stop Killing Black People.”

Protests broke out for a second day in a row in the German capital when several hundred more people took to the streets in the Kreuzberg area, carrying signs with slogans like “Silence is Violence,” “Hold Cops Accountable,” and “Who Do You Call When Police Murder?” No incidents were reported.

The US Embassy in Berlin was the scene of protests on Saturday under the motto: “Justice for George Floyd.”

Germanys top-selling Bild newspaper on Sunday carried the sensational headline “This killer-cop set America ablaze” with an arrow pointing to a photo of now-fired police officer Derek Chauvin, who has been charged with third-degree murder in Floyds death, with his knee on Floyds neck. The newspapers story reported “scenes like out of a civil war."

Thuram takes a knee

Footballer Jadon Sancho joined symbolic demonstrations of protests across German pitches on Sunday by lifting his jersey after scoring to reveal a T-shirt with the handwritten message “Justice for George Floyd” on the front.