A large crowd has gathered in London’s Hyde Park for a socially-distanced Black Lives Matter protest sparked by the brutal
police killing of unarmed Black man George Floyd in the US.
More than 1,000 people, most wearing masks or gloves, chanted “black lives matter” and “we will not be silent” as they waited for the demonstration to begin on Wednesday afternoon.Protesters were initially asked to sit two metres apart unless they were in the same household and were told to keep their arms stretched out to ensure social distancing when moving around the park.
One steward also held a sign asking participants to “isolate for two weeks after protest”.However, as numbers grew, many of the
protesters were seen standing at close distance as organisers still tried to maintain appropriate spacing, PA Media reports.
Filippa, a 20-year-old student, told PA: “I know that I’m healthy. So this felt more important than to stay inside when I have the opportunity.”
Protests have swept across America following the death of Floyd. A police officer killed him by kneeling on his neck for nine minutes in Minneapolis. Some of the demonstrations since have been met with violence by police, and even threats of
MILITARY intervention by the president.London mayor
Sadiq Khan said the brutal killing of Floyd had “rightly ignited fury around the world” and should serve as a “catalyst for change”.
He said that it was vital that
protests in
London were conducted “peacefully, lawfully” and in accordance with
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