George Floyd protests in the United Kingdom
The protest was attended by local Social Democratic and Labour Party councillor Mary Durkan, who described the action as "short, simple and above all else powerful".Protesters listened to speeches by the leaders of the rally before kneeling for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, the length of time taken to kill George Floyd.[12] During the march from Trafalgar Square to the embassy, four young black men outside Battersea Park railway station climbed on top of a bus stop, took the knee, and raised a fist, which the crowd subsequently copied.At least 13 people were arrested after violent clashes broke out outside the gates to Downing Street, where tensions boiled over as the crowd had gathered to chant at Prime Minister Boris Johnson.[citation needed] Further violence erupted after police officers were seen throwing a black protester against a metal railing while attempting to make an arrest.[26][27] Along the coast in Southampton, approximately 500 demonstrators gathered at the city's Guildhall; many wore gloves and masks to protect themselves from COVID-19, however, social distancing was observed to falter as the protest went on.The protest was relocated from Bonn Square to South Park in order to encourage social distancing, due to a higher than expected turnout.[29] In Edinburgh, around 50–60 people gathered briefly in Parliament Square and outside St Giles' Cathedral to protest, with many taking a knee for George Floyd.Protesters gathered in Centenary Square outside the Library of Birmingham around 16:00 and subsequently marched to the front of the West Midlands Police headquarters, Lloyd House.The protest was originally organised for Victoria Square, but was relocated due to the high turnout in order to allow for social distancing to be observed.[34] Approximately 300 people gathered for a demonstration in Barnstaple, organised by three local black/mixed girls who claimed that racism was "more prevalent" in rural areas like Devon compared to major cities.[36] Hundreds of people gathered in Guildhall Square in Portsmouth for a Black Lives Matter demonstration, where protesters criticised the local Hampshire Constabulary for their previous track record on racism.[37] In New Alresford, near Winchester, around 100 people gathered on Broad Street for another Black Lives Matter protest, holding placards and taking a knee.[39] In Scotland, a petition to rename Glasgow streets named after Tobacco Lords who owned slave plantations in America and Jamaica received almost 8000 signatures.The protest was endorsed by local political groups including the Heeley Labour Party and the leader of Sheffield City Council, Julie Dore.[54] Additional protests occurred in Kingston upon Thames,[55] Luton,[56] Salisbury,[57] Watford,[58] Aylesbury,[59] Exeter,[60] Swindon,[61] Worthing,[62] Royal Tunbridge Wells,[63] Peterborough,[64] Ipswich,[65] Southend-on-Sea,[66] Roundwood Park in Wembley,[67] Newington Green,[68] Stevenage,[69] Cambridge,[70] and Chatham, Kent.[80] Protesters marched from the monument, down Grainger Street, past Newcastle Central Station and finished in Newcastle's Centre for Life and marched back up to Grey's Monument via Clayton Street after listening to community leaders speak on racism in the United Kingdom and a moments silence for George Floyd.[82] Tens of thousands of people protested across the UK, in cities and towns that included Bognor Regis,[83] Bury St Edmunds,[84] Cardiff, Carlisle,[85] Chester,[86] Coventry, Dumfries,[87] Glasgow, Hastings,[88] Liverpool, London, Lytham St Annes,[89] Manchester, Merthyr Tydfil,[90] Middlesbrough,[91] Newcastle,[92] Nottingham,[93] Oxford, Sheffield,[94] Weymouth,[95] Woking,[96] Wolverhampton,[97][98] Wrexham,[99] and Yeovil.[5][102] As a response to these events, right-wing activist and convicted criminal Tommy Robinson announced a counter-protest for 13 June to protect both the Churchill statue and the Cenotaph from further vandalism.[135] Protests also occurred in Canterbury,[136] Chichester,[137] Slough,[138] Gloucester,[139] Harrow, London,[140] Northampton,[141] King's Lynn,[142] Marlow, Buckinghamshire,[143] Bishop's Stortford,[144] and Croydon.Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab is criticised for saying during a radio interview that taking the knee is a "symbol of subjugation and subordination" apparently taken from the TV series Game of Thrones.[5][better source needed] BLM activists in London demanded the removal of 60 statues of historical figures like Prime Ministers Charles Grey and William Gladstone, Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, Sir Francis Drake, King Charles II of England, Oliver Cromwell, Cecil Rhodes and Christopher Columbus.The local MP, Virendra Sharma, had been campaigning since 1992 for a name change and said Havelock was a "colonial oppressor, he ravaged India and her people for personal gain and imperial glory".An open letter was sent to the Prime Minister by Labour MP Emily Thornberry, the Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade, calling the continued supply of riot control equipment to US law enforcement a "disgrace".[175] Johnson responded stating that he would look into any concerns but insisted that exports are subject to "consolidated guidance" to ensure they were not misused, and that the UK is the most "scrupulous country in the world in that regard".At the daily Downing Street COVID-19 press conference on 3 June, Boris Johnson stated that he was "appalled and sickened" by the murder of George Floyd.[178] On 8 June, Prime Minister Boris Johnson issued a statement to The Voice in which he stated "I will not support or indulge those who break the law, or attack the police, or desecrate public monuments.[182] The statue of Robert Milligan, who was largely responsible for the construction of the West India Docks, was removed on the same day that Khan announced the commission.[186][187] On 5 June, the Deputy Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Laurence Taylor, described protests across the United Kingdom as "unlawful" due to health protection regulations.[188] During the daily Downing Street COVID-19 press conference on the same day, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matt Hancock, said that he was "appalled" by the murder of George Floyd but urged people not to attend planned protests over the following weekend.
George Floyd protestsHyde Park, LondonUnited Kingdommurder of George FloydPolice brutality in the United KingdomRacismGeorge Floydequalitystatues of people linked to the slave tradeProtestsdemonstrationscivil disobediencesit-insdie-insinternet activismBlack Lives MatterUnite Against FascismMomentumLaw enforcement in the United KingdomAfrican-AmericanUnited Statesprotests and riotsProtests were staged internationallyUnited States EmbassyUK COVID-19 pandemicBirminghamLiverpoolLondonManchesterNewcastleStand Up to RacismOxfordstatueWinston ChurchillParliament SquareBristoltoppledslave traderEdward ColstonMayor of LondonSadiq KhanCommission for Diversity in the Public RealmCOVID-19 pandemicCOVID-19social distancingUS EmbassyBatterseaFree Derry CornerBogsideSocial Democratic and Labour PartyGraffitiI can't breathePeckhamBelfastConnolly Youth MovementCardiff CastleCardiffSt George's Hall8 minutes and 46 secondsTrafalgar SquareMetropolitan Policeassaulting a police officerBattersea Park railway stationtook the kneeraised a fistSt Ann's SquareGreater Manchester PolicetaseredStretfordSwanseaBelfast City HallMinnesotaDerek Chauvinthird-degreesecond-degreeThe SquareBournemouthDorset PoliceAhmaud ArberyCoventryWest Midlands PoliceWest MidlandsLiverpool City CouncilMayor of LiverpoolJoe AndersonLeeds City CouncilWakefield CouncilHyde ParkJohn BoyegaTrayvon MartinSandra BlandStephen LawrencePark Lanedouble-decker busesSpeakers' CornerHM TreasuryDowning StreetPrime MinisterBoris JohnsonBrightonSt Nicholas ChurchThe LevelSussex PoliceCOVID-19 restrictionsSouthamptonGuildhallBelly MujingaLondon Victoria stationSouthampton City CouncilSouth ParkLayla MoranLiberal DemocratOxford West and AbingdonBonn SquareOxford City CouncilEdinburghSt Giles' Cathedraltaking a kneeSheffieldYork MinsterCentenary SquareLibrary of BirminghamLloyd HouseVictoria SquareTyrone MingsAston Villa