Five 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 of the five were arrested for breaching coronavirus legislation, said police, while the other two were detained for assaulting officers.
In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said:
'Police have made five arrests during the gathering that took place outside the US Embassy earlier today. Three arrests were for breaches of Covid legislation and two were for assault on police. Those arrested are aged between 17-25 years. All have been taken into police custody.'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
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
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