Thousands rally in London, Berlin over George Floyd death

Hundreds of people protested in London and Berlin on Sunday in solidarity with demonstrations in the United States over the death of a black man shown on video gasping for breath as a white policeman knelt on his neck in Minneapolis.

The protesters knelt in central London’s Trafalgar Square, chanting “No justice, no peace”, and then marched past the Houses of Parliament and finished up outside the U.S. Embassy.

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

Several hundred protesters also staged a rally outside the U.S. Embassy in Berlin, holding up posters saying “Justice for George Floyd”, “Stop killing us” and “Who’s next”.

The death of George Floyd after his arrest on Monday has triggered a tide of protests in the United States, unleashing long-simmering rage over racial bias in the U.S. criminal justice system.

Some rallies have turned violent as demonstrators blocked traffic, set fires and clashed with riot police, some of whom fired tear gas and plastic bullets in an effort to restore order.