Thousands march through the streets of London for Black Lives Matter protest

31 May 2020, 13:59

Black Lives Matter protesters march towards American Embassy in London

Thousands of people have packed into central London and marched on the American Embassy in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Crowds packed the famous landmark in solidarity with US protesters, who have been demonstrating against the death of George Floyd for the past five days.

Many American cities have seen mass demonstrations against police brutality, which began after Mr Floyd died after a police officer held a knee to his neck until he stopped breathing in Minneapolis.

The officer in question, Derek Chauvin, has since been fired from the force and was charged with third degree murder four days after Mr Floyd's death.

Protesters sing 'They Don't Care About Us'

Those in the Trafalgar Square today chanted "I can't breathe", which Mr Floyd could be heard saying before he fell unconscious.

But the sheer numbers of those in attendance and their close proximity raises concerns that they will not be able to socially distance themselves from one another.

Reverend Sally Hitchiner, associate vicar at St Martin-in-the-Fields church on Trafalgar Square, said she could see hundreds gathered for the protest from her workplace.

The 40-year-old said: "I'm very sympathetic to the issue but also surprised to see the strength of emotion that has gathered people together.

"It's showing there are people in the UK who care passionately about the situation in the US.

"Clearly they're not following lockdown and social distancing, but I think there's a huge amount of passion there and that's overriding their concerns.

"It's an issue that requires passion but at the same time there's a huge amount of risk in what they're doing."

She said police appeared to be moving the crowd on from the square by early afternoon.

A number of people then marched to the American Embassy in Vauxhall, filling the streets and causing a crush of people.

Police could also be seen blocking off the road which leads to the embassy.

Chants of "say his name: George Floyd" and "black lives matter" are coming from the crowds making their way along roads near the river.

Traffic has been stopped in several places and protesters are receiving applause and horns are being sounded from passing cars.

Today's protests come as Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab warned there would be secondary lockdowns if there was an "uptick" in coronavirus cases.

Mr Raab said the Government will target measures "carefully" if there is "any uptick" in infection rates, which could mean shutting down specific regions of the country.

Under current government guidelines, people from different households must remain at last 2 metres away from one another to reduce the risk of catching coronavirus.

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police told LBC News: "Police are aware of demonstrators gathering in Trafalgar Square, Westminster this afternoon.

"Officers are on scene & engaging with those in attendance. An appropriate policing plan is in place."

The protest in London is peaceful, with hundreds taking to their knee and raising their fist into the sky.

In Cardiff, another Black Lives Matter protest was also taking place, again some of the protesters did not seem to be socially distancing.

Pictures shared online show some of those attending sitting apart from each other on the grass around Cardiff Castle.

Cardiff Black Lives Matter protest

But others were photographed in close proximity, and angry motorists beeped their horns at them.

While the UK protests are peaceful, many US cities have descended into riots, and so far a teenage boy and police officer are confirmed to have died.

NYPD SUV's were recorded yesterday driving into crowds, during the city's third night of unrest.

Police vehicles were set ablaze across the country as the country convulsed through another night of unrest after months of coronavirus lockdowns.

The protests have left parts of that city a grid of broken windows, burned-out buildings and ransacked stores.

The unrest has since become a national phenomenon as protesters decry years of deaths at police hands.

More than 1,300 people have been arrested in 16 cities since Thursday, with more than 500 of those happening in Los Angeles on Friday.