People hold banners in Hyde Park during a “Black Lives Matter” protest following the death of George Floyd who died in police custody in Minneapolis, London, Britain, June 3, 2020. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
LONDON (Reuters) – Thousands of people chanting “no justice, no peace” and “black lives matter” gathered in central London on Wednesday to protest after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Reuters reporters said.
Many of the protesters wore red and face masks. Some waved banners with slogans such as: “The UK is not innocent: less racist is still racist” and “Racism is a global issue”. Others chanted “George Floyd” and “Black lives matter”.
Some chanted expletives about U.S. President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Floyd died after a white policeman pinned his neck under a knee for nearly nine minutes in Minneapolis on May 25, reigniting the explosive issue of police brutality against African Americans five months before the November presidential election.
Floyd’s death unleashed long simmering rage over perceived racial bias in the U.S. criminal justice system. In the United States, many protesters ignored curfews overnight
Reporting by Michael Holden, editing by Guy Faulconbridge
