Police arrest 23 people after 'assault on officers'.
Updated: May 13, 2021
Thousands of Black Lives Matter activists marched on US embassy in London and crowds gathered peacefully around UK demanding 'justice' for George Floyd killed by cops 4,000 miles away in US.
Chants of, 'I can't breathe,' rebounded across the Thames this afternoon, the words George Floyd was heard gasping before his death as a white police officer knelt on his neck in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Monday
Thousands had earlier gathered at Trafalgar Square before making their way to the gates of Downing Street and then south of the river towards the US Embassy
Meanwhile outside Cardiff Castle in Wales protesters were seen holding placards saying, 'The UK isn't innocent,' and in Manchester hundreds were chanting in St. Peter's Square
They have defied the ban on mass gatherings due to coronavirus to show their solidarity with US citizens
Dozens of US 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
Credits to Ross Ibbetson from Mail Online
Twenty-three people were arrested in London yesterday 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 people were arrested for breaching coronavirus legislation, said police, while two others were detained for assaulting officers. The other arrests were for a range of offences from possession of an offensive weapon to assault on police, obstructing a public carriageway to breaches of COVID legislation.
In a tweet, the Metropolitan Police said: 'The total number of arrests following gatherings in central London today is now 23, all for various offences. They remain in police custody.'
Witnesses reported seeing scuffles break out between police and protesters despite a mainly peaceful day of demonstrations. One group of officers were seen tackling protesters on Kensington High Street, with reports some activists threw traffic cones at police.
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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